Prime Minister

Military Intervention: Yemen

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Prime Minister, whether she discussed the Saudi Arabia-led coalition participation in the conflict in Yemen at her meeting with the King of Saudi Arabia in April 2017.

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Prime Minister, whether in her meeting with King Salman of Saudi Arabia in April 2017 she discussed with him the cases of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher.

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Prime Minister, whether she discussed future arms sales to Saudi Arabia in her meeting with King Salman in April 2017.

Mrs Theresa May: I refer the hon. Member to the statement issued on 5 April following my meeting with King Salman of Saudi Arabia and which is available on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-meeting-with-king-salman-of-saudi-arabia-5-april-2017.I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend, the Minister of State, the right hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns to the noble Lord Hoyle on 24 April 2017 in the House of Lords, HL6712.

Elections: Fraud

Steve McCabe: To ask the Prime Minister, what information she had on the Crown Prosecution Service's decisions on charging hon. Members for election fraud before deciding to call a general election.

Mrs Theresa May: None

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Training

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any training (a) has taken place and (b) has been planned for officials of his Department on how to deal sensitively with women whose third or subsequent child was conceived as a result of rape.

Damian Hinds: Holding answer received on 26 April 2017



Universal Credit Work Coaches undertake comprehensive learning to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants. All DWP staff undertaking customer-facing roles go through a programme of learning and development to equip them to support vulnerable people who access our services. This includes a learning product called “Supporting Customers with a Vulnerability”, and which staff undertake as part of their foundation learning for a role where they interact directly with DWP customers. We have worked with external bodies, including organisations that provide support to vulnerable customers, on a number of our technical learning products. For the most sensitive cases the training emphasises that Work Coaches should not make judgements alone on how to handle, and they should listen to the advice of experts in the area on how to handle. As we expand Universal Credit, we continually review and develop the vulnerable claimant journey. This includes looking at how we identify vulnerable people, how we support them and how we refer them to local services delivered in partnership activity.

Housing Benefit: Southwark

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a) how many people claimed housing benefit and (b) what the total amount of housing benefit claimed was in the London Borough of Southwark in each of the last seven years.

Caroline Nokes: The requested information is available on GOV.uk. The available information for Housing Benefit claimants in each Local Authority is published and available at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html Historic Housing Benefit expenditure for each Local Authority is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/554026/benefit-expenditure-by-local-authority-2015-16.ods

Carer's Allowance: Southwark

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people living in the London Borough of Southwark have been in receipt of carer's allowance in each of the last seven years.

Penny Mordaunt: The information requested on the number of individuals in receipt of Carer’s Allowance in the London Borough of Southwark can be obtained at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.ukGuidance for users is available at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Department for Work and Pensions: Buildings

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on consulting on the proposed closure of Vinovium House.

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made a decision on the proposed closure of Vinovium House.

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish the outcome of his Department's consultation on the proposed closure of Vinovium House.

Damian Hinds: We are currently consulting with our staff at Vinovium House and Trade Unions about the proposal. The outcomes of the consultation will be reviewed and considered before making a final decision on the future of this site. It is necessary to delay any further announcements whilst we are in the pre-election period.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will take steps to share personal independence payment (PIP) appeal tribunal decisions with assessment providers in order to improve the quality of initial PIP assessments.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department is working with the Tribunals Service to establish how it can get more detailed and regular feedback on tribunal decisions. A recent initiative to use more Presenting Officers will help in this regard. The Presenting Officer will note any of the tribunal’s comments regarding the assessment, in particular anything adverse, and, where it is appropriate, feed this back to the provider.

Motability

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2017 to Question 69687, on Motability, whether his Department plans to collect information on the numbers of people who have had to return a Motability vehicle when migrating between disability living allowance and personal independence payments.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department does not hold information on how many people had Motability vehicles on DLA. Therefore, we are unable to collect information on the number of people who have had to return a Motability vehicle following reassessment from Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payment.

Carer's Allowance

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to make carer's allowance available to carers in receipt of a state pension.

Richard Harrington: Where a carer's State Pension is less than Carer's Allowance, State Pension is paid and topped up with Carer's Allowance to the basic weekly rate of Carer's Allowance, which is currently £62.70 a week. However, where the State Pension paid is higher than £62.70, social security rules operate to prevent Carer’s Allowance and State Pension being paid together, since they are designed to meet the same need i.e. to help maintain income. Paying both benefits together would represent duplicate provision. The relevant legislation is The Social Security (Overlapping Benefits) Regulations 1979 (regulation 4), which can be found at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1979/597/pdfs/uksi_19790597_290216_en.pdfWhere Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit. This gives access to the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit, worth up to £34.95 a week, and even if a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, he or she may still be able to receive Housing Benefit.

Pensioners: Woking

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in Woking constituency (a) receive the basic state pension, (b) receive pension credit and (c) are eligible for pension credit but do not claim it.

Richard Harrington: Statistics on the number of pensioners receiving the basic state pension in the Parliamentary constituency of Woking is published and can be obtained from:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk Guidance for users is available at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html Statistics on the number of pensioners receiving pension credit in the Parliamentary constituency of Woking is published and can be obtained from:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp Information on the number of pensioners in the Parliamentary constituency of Woking who are eligible for Pension Credit, but do not claim it, is not available. Statistics, at Great Britain level, on the take-up of income related benefits (including Pension Credit) are published and available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up--2

Multiple Sclerosis

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the needs of people with MS as part of the Government's recently launched consultation on disability, health and work.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government wants all disabled people and people with a long term health condition to have the opportunity to work and share in the economic and health benefits that appropriate work can bring. That is why we published ‘Improving Lives the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper’ setting out the action we plan to take and starting a far-reaching, national debate on what more we can do to ensure everyone, including people with multiple sclerosis, is supported to reach their full potential. During our three-month consultation, we heard from a wide range of stakeholders, including organisations who work with and represent people with multiple sclerosis. We are now taking stock of what we have heard.

State Retirement Pensions

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the average annual difference between the state pension paid to UK pensioners living in other EU member states  and the basic state pension paid to people living in the UK.

Richard Harrington: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Home Office

Asylum: Children

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the proportion of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children accepted under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 that would otherwise have been eligible for transfer to the UK under the family-reunification provisions of the Dublin III Regulation.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government has confirmed that the specified number under section 67(1) of the Immigration Act 2016 will not include cases transferred to the UK under the Dublin III Regulation.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reintroducing the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme to ensure that UK agriculture has sufficient seasonal staff available to harvest, process and pack fruit and vegetables.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The agricultural sector is important to the United Kingdom and we take concerns of labour shortages seriously. For the time being the United Kingdom remains part of the European Union and freedom of movement continues. The latest labour market statistics, for the year ending December 2016, show that there were 190,000 more EU workers in the UK workforce than a year earlier.

Immigrants: Detainees

Dr Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has paid in compensation for unlawful immigration detention since figures on such compensation payments were published in 2014-15.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I refer the honourable member to my response to PQ 47658, submitted to Parliament on 19 October 2016.

Police: Social Media

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to encourage police forces to make use of social media to (a) pass information onto communities which they serve and (b) assist in tackling crime; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The Modern Crime Prevention Strategy published in March 2016 sets out the Government’s strategy recognising that using modern technology effectively is critical to preventing crime. Using social media is part of this.

Police: Bureaucracy

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve the effectiveness of police recording processes for crimes in (a) England and Wales and (b) the West Midlands.

Brandon Lewis: It is crucial that police crime recorded crime statistics are accurate and fit for purpose. HMIC’s rolling programme of crime data integrity inspections will keep the spotlight on forces to improve the accuracy of their crime recording. Where those inspections highlight areas for improvement we expect forces to take them seriously and act on them. HMIC are currently conducting a crime data integrity inspection in West Midlands police with a report to be published later in the year.

Hate Crime

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that the police have sufficient resources to deal with the reported rise in hate crimes since June 2016.

Brandon Lewis: The police have increased their capability to record and respond to hate crime. The police have also improved training to staff on the identification, investigation and prosecution of hate crime. The UK has some of the most robust legislation in the world for tackling hate crime and on 26 July last year the Government published the Hate Crime Action Plan “Action Against Hate”. This outlines the work Government, law enforcement and other parties will undertake over the next four years to tackle hate crime in all its forms.Decisions on the allocation of police resources are a matter for Chief Constables in association with local Police and Crime Commissioners.

Informers

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been as a direct result of information gained by police forces from covert human intelligence sources in the last 12 months.

Brandon Lewis: The use of covert human intelligence sources by police forces, and the intelligence derived from this use, plays an important role in the prevention and detection of crime, and is subject to strict authorisation controls and oversight through the Office of Surveillance Commissioners, as detailed in the Covert Human Intelligence Sources Code of Practice.Intelligence derived from covert human intelligence sources is frequently combined with intelligence and evidence from other sources to build a case for prosecutions and convictions. It is not therefore currently possible to say how many prosecutions and convictions resulted from intelligence gained from covert human intelligence sources alone, since such information will almost always form part of an overall intelligence picture. It is an operational matter for individual police forces to ensure that their use of covert human intelligence sources is effective. Law enforcement agencies must demonstrate that their use is both necessary and proportionate, and must ensure they comply with the Covert Human Intelligence Sources Code of Practice.Available statistics and analysis on the use of covert human intelligence sources, including the number of covert human intelligence sources authorisations, are provided in the Chief Surveillance Commissioner’s annual report.

Entry Clearances: Armed Forces

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations she has received on reports that members of the Army are facing difficulties entering UK airports.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office has no record of any recent general representations or reports from members of the Army who have faced difficulties entering the UK at an airport.Military personnel are checked at the UK border in line with the Border Force Operating Mandate but are exempt from immigration control if they fall under section 8 of the Immigration Act 1971 provided they can prove that they are a serving member of the British Army.

101 Calls

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the 101 crime service; what procedures are in place to ensure that lessons are learnt from any shortcomings in that service; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The 101 non-emergency contact number is led by the police. The annual crime survey for England and Wales shows that awareness of the number has increased steadily since its introduction in 2011.

Entry Clearances: Fiji

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations she has received from community and civil society representatives on the experience of entering UK airports for Fijian citizens in the British Army with Commonwealth passports and indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office has no record of any general representations from community representatives or Fijian nationals enlisted as regulars in the British Army or with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), having experienced difficulties at the UK border.

Crime

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to encourage greater cross-border co-operation between different constabularies for the purposes of tackling travelling criminals in (a) rural and (b) urban areas; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The police operational response to crime is an operational matter for chief officers. The police do have networks and tools which assist them in collaborating across police force boundaries where appropriate, which include specialist units owned jointly by a number of forces and the Regional Organised Crime Unit structure.

Deportation: Iraq

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what arrangements are in place between the Government and the Government of Iraq for removing, by charter flight to Iraq, people who have been refused asylum in the UK.

Mr Robert Goodwill: There are no current plans for a charter flight returns operation to Iraq.

Female Genital Mutilation

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to prevent female genital mutilation.

Sarah Newton: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a crime and is child abuse that requires domestic and international action. Recent work to prevent it includes: Changes to the law via the Serious Crime Act 2015, including extended extra-territorial jurisdiction over FGM offences committed overseas, a new failure to protect offence, and the creation of a mandatory reporting duty for known cases in under 18s;the introduction of FGM Protection Orders in July 2015 – the most recent figures show 94 orders have been made;the launch of the Home Office’s FGM Unit which carries out awareness raising and outreach work with professionals and communities; andthe Department for International Development’s £35m programme to support the Africa-led movement to end FGM overseas.

Middle East: Asylum

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to support asylum seekers fleeing Middle Eastern countries due to being persecuted because of their religious belief.

Mr Robert Goodwill: We are doing our utmost to provide assistance to all those in need in the region. The UK has now allocated £2.3 billion since 2012 to meet the immediate needs of vulnerable people in Syria and of refugees in the region making it one of the largest donors. Since summer 2014, we have committed £169.5 million in humanitarian assistance to help those affected by Daesh in Iraq. In addition, the UK operates four resettlement schemes (Gateway, Mandate, the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) Scheme and the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS), working closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on each to identify those most in need of resettlement, prioritising the most vulnerable. The UK works according to the humanitarian principles of impartiality and neutrality which means that we do not take into consideration the ethno-religious origins of people requiring assistance as we assist solely on the basis of needs, identified by UNHCR. All asylum claims lodged in the UK, including claims based on religious persecution, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention. Those who demonstrate a well founded fear on return to their country are normally granted protection.

Asylum

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of asylum seekers in (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey and (c) the UK were (i) granted and (ii) refused asylum and returned to their home country in each of the last seven years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Whilst we can provide data on the current addresses of asylum claimants, data on the place of residence at the time of initial decision could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.Data on asylum claim outcomes for the whole of the UK can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2016/list-of-tables#asylum

Metals: Theft

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many instances of metal theft from public property occurred in (a) Surrey, (b) the South East and (c) England in each of the last seven years.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office does not hold the requested information centrally. The Home Office collects data on police recorded metal thefts, but it is not possible from these data to identify whether the crime was against public property or not. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published police recorded crime data on metal theft in Focus on Property Crime: year ending March 2016. This publication gives details of the number of metal theft offences in England and Wales in the year to March 2016 and compares this with the previous year. The publication can be accessed here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/focusonpropertycrime/yearendingmarch2016

Deportation: EU Nationals

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many EU nationals were deported from the UK in each of the last seven years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The number of enforced returns by country of nationality is published in table rt_02 (returns data tables) in ‘Immigration Statistics, October - December 2016’, available from the Home Office website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/593031/returns1-q4-2016-tables.ods.The term 'deportations' refers to a legal definition of a specific set of returns. Deportations are a specific subset of returns which are enforced either following a criminal conviction or when it is judged that a person’s removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. The deportation order prohibits the person returning to the UK until such time as it may be revoked. Published information on those deported is not separately available. As such, the question has been interpreted as referring to enforced returns. In an enforced return, it has been established that a person has breached UK immigration laws and / or has no valid leave to remain in the UK. They have declined to leave voluntarily and the Home Office enforces their departure from the UK.

Refugees: Children

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of unaccompanied children who have been admitted to the UK under the Dublin Convention in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Mr Robert Goodwill: At present we do not publish data on cases covered by the Dublin Regulation. Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency, regularly publishes Member State figures, which can be found at:http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Dublin_statistics_on_countries_responsible_for_asylum_application

Migration: International Cooperation

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on the development of a UN Global Compact for Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The development of the Global Compact for Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration is seen as a significant opportunity for a truly global response to such an important area. Our approach should be seen as part of a full government approach developed in line with the Prime Minister’s three global migration principles as stated at the last UN General Assembly (September 2016). As lead Department on migration and asylum policy, the Home Office is ensuring that the development of the Global Compact meets practical and legal policy requirements throughout the consultation formation of the Global Compact.

Radicalism

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps the Government has taken to tackle extremism in the UK.

Sarah Newton: We are taking a comprehensive approach to tackling terrorism and violent extremism at source, but also, through our counter-extremism strategy, we are looking at extremism more widely. We want to defeat not just terrorism and violent extremism but extremism wherever it occurs.

Domestic Violence

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what comparative assessment she has made of the value of telephone and face-to-face interviews on the ability of the police to assess allegations of domestic abuse.

Brandon Lewis: The College of Policing has issued guidance to police forces making clear that it is the responsibility of the attending officer or first responder to carry out a primary risk assessment at the first opportunity, usually at the scene. In its report on police effectiveness, published in March 2017, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary found that in a very small number of forces there were too many instances of interviews conducted by telephone and recommended that this be stopped.

Emergency Calls

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to the police on the classification of emergency calls.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of changes in the police budget on its ability to respond to emergency calls.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the proportion of emergency 999 calls to the police that were reclassified or downgraded as a result of a shortage of police officers in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Brandon Lewis: The 2015 Spending Review protected overall police spending in real terms, and the 2017/18 police funding settlement maintained that protection. Answering, classifying and responding to 999 calls are operational matters for the police.

Refugees: Children

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on local authority capacity to accept refugee children under the Dubs scheme and allegations that the Dubs scheme has encouraged traffickers to exploit such children.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office consulted extensively with local authorities on their capacity to host unaccompanied children to arrive at the number of additional children they could take under section 67. Over 400 local authority representatives attended events in England, Scotland and Wales. On 8 September 2016, the Minister for Immigration wrote to local authorities to ask them to confirm their capacity to host all unaccompanied asylum seeking children, regardless of how they reached the UK. Local authorities told us they had the capacity to support 480 unaccompanied children. This capacity was in addition to the more than 4,000 unaccompanied children already in local authority care.The migration crisis has shown that pull factors, such as policy changes and political messaging, can influence the movements of migrants. Approximately two thirds of asylum-seekers in the EU last year chose to travel to Germany and Sweden after passing through many safe countries en route. Whether it is push or pull factors that motivate children to come to Europe, it is always in the child’s best interest to enable them to come before they need to make dangerous journeys to Europe and before they become unaccompanied. That is why the Government’s strategy is to resettle the most vulnerable refugees directly from the regions; this is how we stop traffickers and smugglers from exploiting vulnerable people and children affected by conflict. In 2016, we resettled more than 5,000 people under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme and the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme.

Community Policing

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of police officers have been deployed in neighbourhood policing in each year since 2010.

Brandon Lewis: Police and crime stats are published at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales

Police

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help the police service attract, recruit and train more police detectives.

Brandon Lewis: Decisions about the recruitment and retention of police officers and staff are the responsibility of chief constables and police and crime commissioners, supported by the College of Policing.In her last annual remit letter, the Home Secretary asked the independent Police Remuneration Review Body to consider evidence and proposals from police partners on boosting recruitment and retention in shortage groups. We look forward to receiving their recommendations later this year.

Police

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police detective vacancies there are by region.

Brandon Lewis: Decisions about the recruitment and retention of police officers and staff are the responsibility of chief constables and police and crime commissioners, supported by the College of Policing.In her last annual remit letter, the Home Secretary asked the independent Police Remuneration Review Body to consider evidence and proposals from police partners on boosting recruitment and retention in shortage groups. We look forward to receiving their recommendations later this year.

Police: Standards

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the summary and main findings of the report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, PEEL: Police effectiveness 2016, published in March 2017, what steps she is taking to prevent police forces from rationing their response to reported crimes.

Brandon Lewis: Decisions about the allocation of police resources are for Chief Constables and democratically accountable Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). They are responsible for ensuring the needs of the local community are met.

Investigatory Powers Act 2016: Codes of Practice

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government's consultation on codes of practice in relation to the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 complied with Government guidelines on consultations for (a) accessibility and (b) otherwise.

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many responses her Department received to its consultation on codes of practice in relation to the Investigatory Powers Act 2016.

Mr Ben Wallace: The public consultation on the Investigatory Powers Act codes of practice closed on 6 April 2016. The Government is currently carefully considering the results of that consultation and will publish its formal response in due course. The Government is confident that this consultation complied with all aspects of the Cabinet Office consultation principles. Indeed, in some aspects the Government exceeded requirements: the Government first published the codes of practice in draft over 12 months ago so that they would be available for public scrutiny during the Parliamentary passage of the Investigatory Powers Act. This early publication provided an unprecedented level of information to the public about the intended use of investigatory powers.

Department of Health

Social Workers: Training

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that social care staff receive the most up-to-date information on HIV during their training.

David Mowat: It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure that their staff are appropriately trained and competent to fulfil the responsibilities of the role. This includes ensuring that their knowledge and skills are kept up to date.HIV would be covered in infection control which is part of the Care certificate and is included in units within social care diplomas in terms of a good practice for general infection control.Introduction of the Care Certificate for new healthcare assistants and social care support workers from 1 April 2015, is introducing specific standards for the training of new care workers. By working to achieve the Care Certificate, care support workers will develop the required behaviours, competencies and skills to enable them to provide high quality compassionate care.

Slaughterhouses: Horses

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many horses and ponies were slaughtered in UK abattoirs (a) with no CCTV, (b) with no CCTV installed in stunning, killing or bleeding areas and (c) with CCTV in all areas in 2016.

Nicola Blackwood: The Food Standards Agency has the following data on numbers of equines slaughtered in approved premises in England. There were no operating equine slaughter premises in Wales during the year 2016. Type of CCTV in slaughterhouseNumber of horses slaughtered between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2016With no CCTV136With no CCTV installed in stunning, killing or bleeding areas3,077With CCTV in all areas115

Health Services

Mrs Flick Drummond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the costs to the NHS and social care system of treatment for (a) alcohol abuse, (b) obesity and (c) viral hepatitis in each of the last five years.

Nicola Blackwood: Data on costs is not available in the format requested. However the health costs associated with alcohol misuse are estimated to cost the National Health Service in England around £3.5 billion each year and the latest estimate of the cost to the NHS in England of overweight or obesity related ill-health is £5.1 billion each year. Data is not available by cause of condition to provide an expenditure estimate requested for viral hepatitis.

St Helier Hospital

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when Ministers in his Department last discussed the future of St Helier Hospital with the Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust.

Mr Philip Dunne: Based upon available diary evidence, there are no records of Ministers having specifically met with the Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust to discuss the future of St Helier Hospital.

Doctors: Migrant Workers

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Hospital Trusts and (b) the British Medical Association on the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the number of doctors from the EU working in the NHS.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department and the Secretary of State have regular discussions with the British Medical Association and hospital trusts on a range of issues. The Secretary of State has always made clear that European Union nationals who work in the National Health Service make a valuable contribution and securing their futures will be a priority in the Brexit negotiations.

Nurses: Migrant Workers

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) Hospital Trusts and (b) the Royal College of Nursing on the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the number of nursing staff from the EU working in the NHS.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department and the Secretary of State have regular discussions with the Royal College of Nursing and hospital trusts on a range of issues. The Secretary of State has always made clear that European Union nationals who work in the National Health Service make a valuable contribution and securing their futures will be a priority in the Brexit negotiations.

Health Education: Sex

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether funding given to sexual health charities is ring-fenced so that it is only spent on service provision and not on lobbying activities; and how his Department ensures surpluses that are made from services are not used for lobbying.

Nicola Blackwood: The conditions applicable to any grants awarded to sexual health charities are set out in the grant award letters, including a specific clause stating that the award has been made under the provisions of Section 64 and may not be used for lobbying. Any underspend is also required to be reported and returned to the Department.

St Helier Hospital

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding has been allocated in the NHS budget to enable the Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust to rebuild St Helier Hospital.

Mr Philip Dunne: Centrally held data, available from 2014/15 onwards, indicates that no specific central funding has been provided by the Department for projects related to the rebuilding of St Helier Hospital. There are currently no formal applications with either the Department or NHS Improvement seeking funding for this purpose in future years.

Health Education: Sex

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has allocated to sexual health charities (a) directly and (b) through local authorities in each of the last five years.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has allocated to Brook (a) directly and (b) through local authorities in each of the last five years.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has allocated to the Family Planning Association (a) directly and (b) through local authorities in each of the last five years.

Nicola Blackwood: The Department and Public Health England (PHE) have provided funding to a number of sexual health charities, including Brook and the Family Planning Association in the past five years through the Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development fund. These contracts are for national HIV prevention, specialist sexual health information services and other nationally funded work. Total allocations are: 2012/13:£3,215,3622013/14:£3,021,4342014/15:£3,119,3182015/16:£1,672,6602016/17:£1,758,120 In addition, PHE has run an HIV Prevention Innovation Fund for local voluntary sector organisations in 2015 (up to £500,000) and 2016 (up to £600,000) and are running another call in 2017. Details of the 2015 and 2016 funds are publically available at: https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2016/12/01/health-matters-a-look-at-the-hiv-prevention-innovation-fund/ with details on specific call available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/launch-of-innovative-hiv-prevention-fund and: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-funding-for-local-hiv-prevention Information on contracts local authorities hold with sexual health charities is not collected centrally.

Abortion: Clinics

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to give ratings to private abortion clinics in the same way in which the Care Quality Commission gives such ratings to NHS clinics.

Nicola Blackwood: The Government published a consultation on 22 August 2016 on the scope of performance assessment of providers regulated by the Care Quality Commission. This included proposals to apply performance ratings to additional provider sectors, including termination of pregnancy services. The document is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/547103/Scope_of_CQC_ratings_Con_Doc_A.pdf It is the intention of the present Government to bring forward regulations to extend performance ratings to this sector.

British Pregnancy Advisory Service

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has allocated to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (a) directly and (b) indirectly through contracts in each of the last five years; and what those funds were spent.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent from the public purse on the provision of abortions by independent abortion providers in each of the last five years.

Nicola Blackwood: The Department has not allocated any funding directly to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. Information on contracts held by clinical commissioning groups with independent abortion providers is not collected centrally.

Coeliac Disease: Prescriptions

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) coeliacs, (b) people working in the manufacturing industry and (c) other people who will be affected by the proposal to remove gluten-free provisions from prescription.

Nicola Blackwood: It is estimated that 1% of the population is affected by coeliac disease. No estimate has been made of effects on people in the manufacturing industry if supply on prescription changes. The impact assessment measures health impacts of all three options that are contained in the published Gluten Free consultation. The impact assessment will be developed further once the consultation responses have been analysed. More information can be found by following this link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/availability-of-gluten-free-foods-on-nhs-prescription

British Pregnancy Advisory Service

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent from the public purse on the provision of abortions by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service in each of the last five years.

Nicola Blackwood: This information is not collected centrally.

Marie Stopes International

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent from the public purse on the provision of abortions by Marie Stopes UK (a) within and (b) outside the UK in each of the last five years.

Nicola Blackwood: Information on National Health Service expenditure on the provision of abortions by Marie Stopes UK is not collected centrally. Over the past five years, United Kingdom Government funding has provided central support to Marie Stopes International’s (MSI) developing country portfolio of 29 countries, and Department for International Development (DFID) specific programmes in Bangladesh, Kenya, Malawi, Pakistan and Sierra Leone. Over this period, DFID direct funding to MSI was £163.01 million.

Organs: Donors

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will consider moving to a system of presumed consent for organ donation.

Nicola Blackwood: On 1 December 2015, Wales introduced deemed consent (opt-out) for organ and tissue donation. The Department will monitor closely how these changes in legislation in Wales affect donation rates. Since the launch of the United Kingdom-wide Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020 Strategy in 2013, organ donation rates have increased by 7% and transplant rates by 6% mainly through a strengthening of the donation infrastructure (e.g. increased specialist nurses, improved retrieval arrangements). In 2016/17, there were 1,413 deceased donors resulting in 3,712 transplants.

Hospital Wards: Crimes against the Person

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many assaults have taken place on mixed-sex NHS hospital wards in each year since 2010.

Mr Philip Dunne: The information is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Tables of collated numbers of reported physical assaults against National Health Service staff in England are available at:http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/3645.aspx

General Practitioners: Training

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that training and development opportunities are available to staff in GP surgeries to help them to recognise loneliness and know where to refer people for help.

David Mowat: The General Practice Forward View (GPFV), published by NHS England in April 2016, listed 10 High Impact Actions that help general practitioner practices to release time for care and provide more accessible and innovative care for their patients which includes social prescribing. Social prescribing commonly addresses needs relating to social isolation, long term mental health issues and other personal challenges are not best addressed through medical treatment. The GPFV implementation programme is continuing to gather evidence about successful ways to use social prescribing. Evidence to date indicates that both clinicians and patients welcome this approach, and interest among practices is growing steadily.

Action On Smoking and Health

Mr Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2017 to Question 68965, on Action on Smoking and Health, what controls and checks are in place to ensure that none of the grant funds provided are used to fund lobbying activities.

Mr Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library, copies of all audits and reviews conducted by his Department in respect of the spending of grants to Action on Smoking and Health.

Mr Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is a requirement that grants paid by his Department to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) are held in a separate account by ASH to avoid those funds being spent on non-agreed activities.

Nicola Blackwood: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 March to Question 69025. In financial year 2012/13, the Department grant awarded to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) (under Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968) was included in a sample of grants that was reviewed in an internal audit of the grant management arrangements of the Department. The audit included visits to the charities that formed part of the sample to test the information they provided to the Department and to garner their views on how the Department engaged with them. ASH was included in the work because its grant fulfilled the sample criteria. The internal audit was not a review of the organisation and the way that it operated, its focus was on the Department’s grant management. It found that, at the time, there were satisfactory arrangements in place in the Department. The audit report did not raise any adverse comments about ASH or include any recommendations in relation to them. It is not normal practice to place copies of Internal Audit reports in the Library. Minutes of annual review meetings with ASH are available on request from the Department. These documents are held for six years in line with Cabinet Office guidance. There is no requirement in the grant award for funding to be held in a separate account; however, the grant must be identified in annual accounts.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many admissions to accident and emergency departments of people aged under 18-years old for mental health conditions there have been in each year since 2009-10.

Nicola Blackwood: The information is not available in the format requested as patient admissions to accident and emergency are not collected. Only data on attendances to accident and emergency departments is collected.

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 11 January 1988 to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead, Official Report, column 184W, on contaminated blood products, if he will place a copy of the letter sent to that right hon. Member in the Library.

Nicola Blackwood: We regret that we are unable to locate a copy of a letter from Tony Newton, the then Minister of State for Health, to the Rt. hon. Member for Birkenhead (Frank Field MP). We have published all available material before 1992 and have acknowledged that unfortunately some papers from the period were inadvertently lost or destroyed a number of years ago. This is covered in some detail in Lord Archer’s report and it is important to note that Lord Archer also made clear that his inquiry “discovered no evidence of malicious destruction of relevant records”. Officials have not been able to identify any of the correspondence referred to or the information it would have contained. However haemophilia centres were alert to the potential of HIV in blood products by 1983.

Mental Health Services

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of NHS mental health patients received follow-up treatment within 48 hours after being discharged as an inpatient from a mental health facility in the last 12 months.

Nicola Blackwood: The information is not collected in the format requested. Currently it is expected that 95% of patients on Care Programme Approach (CPA) should be followed up within seven days of discharge from psychiatric inpatient care. The Quarterly Mental Health Community Teams Activity return collects data on this activity, which is published quarterly on the NHS England Statistics website:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/mental-health-community-teams-activity/ The last 12 months of available data cover Quarter 4 2015/16 to Quarter 3 2016/17 and showed that 61,612 people were followed up with seven days of discharge, 96.7% of patients on CPA. This data are available back to Quarter 1 2010/11 on the link above, during which time the 95% threshold has consistently been met nationally. The next report, covering Quarter 4 2016/17, will be published on 12 May.

Eating Disorders

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what effect NHS England funding changes have had on eating disorder nursing provision in the last 12 months.

Nicola Blackwood: This information is not collected centrally.

Eating Disorders

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to Community Support Services on readmission rates to special eating disorder units.

Nicola Blackwood: The Government is investing an additional £30 million per year to improve access to effective eating disorder care in the community. The additional investment has helped to create 67 new or extended Community Eating Disorder teams across England. The ambition is to improve early access to effective care, improve outcomes and reduce relapse rates, the need for inpatient care, and length of stay when admission is required. For any admission, the community eating disorder team are to ensure continuity of care pre- and post- admission and maintain contact with the young person and family during admission.

Eating Disorders: Children

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to ensure that children with eating disorders are treated as early as possible in the last 12 months.

Nicola Blackwood: NHS England has set a new access standard, to be achieved by 2020, that 95% of patients are to be treated within four weeks of their first contact with a designated healthcare professional. For urgent cases, the standard will be one week. The very worst emergency cases should find support within 24 hours. This has been funded by £30 million each year, which is scheduled to continue until 2020.

Eating Disorders

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to address the difference in the level of funding for (a) adult and (b) child eating disorder service provision in England.

Nicola Blackwood: NHS England sets overall baseline allocations for clinical commissioning groups and does not generally determine funding for specific services. Commissioners determine their budgets locally with reference to national planning requirements like the Mental Health Investment Standard, waiting time/access targets and local needs based assessment.

Eating Disorders: Children

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the risk to children with eating disorders of learned behaviours when such children are placed in general units.

Nicola Blackwood: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline for the recognition and treatment of eating disorder has been updated and is scheduled to be published in May 2017.https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-cgwave0703 The draft clinical guideline on which NICE has consulted, emphasised that admissions should be made to an age appropriate facility, close to the young person’s home as possible and have the capacity to provide appropriate educational activities.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time was for an assessment by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in each year since 2009-10.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the current average waiting time is for an assessment by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children and young people are currently waiting for an assessment by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in England.

Nicola Blackwood: Data on waiting times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services has only been collected since 1 January 2016. The available data is published regularly as part of the Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Statistics Monthly Reports and can be accessed here:http://content.digital.nhs.uk/mhldsmonthly

Meningitis: Children

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve the (i) prevention and (ii) management of meningitis in children and (b) enhance rehabilitation programmes for children who have had that disease.

Nicola Blackwood: Prevention of meningococcal disease is primarily achieved by vaccination. Two vaccines have been added to the national programme recently to help protect against meningitis and septicaemia; the meningitis B vaccine for babies and the meningitis ACWY vaccine for school leavers and university students. Where there is a case, local Public Health England Centres advise on the use of antibiotics and vaccination for appropriate close contacts. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced both a quality standard (QS) and a clinical guideline (CG) relevant to bacterial meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia in children: - QS19 - ‘Meningitis (bacterial) and meningococcal septicaemia in children and young people’ available at:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs19 - CG102 - ‘Meningitis (bacterial) and meningococcal septicaemia in under 16s: recognition, diagnosis and management’ available at:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg102 Basic inpatient care combined with out-patient rehabilitation is delivered by Specialty Multidisciplinary Teams who will engage with other specialties as required to address any additional identified needs following recovery from infection. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning rehabilitation services, in line with their assessment of the specific rehabilitation needs of different groups within their localities. In 2016, NHS England published “Commissioning Guidance for Rehabilitation”, which is intended to support local CCGs in the commissioning of local rehabilitation services across a range of settings.

Mental Health: Children and Young People

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Government's aspiration number 7 and paragraph 407 of his Department's Future in Mind report, published in March 2015, what plans he has to invest in universal services to support children and young people's wellbeing through delivering mental health promotion and prevention activities.

Nicola Blackwood: Children and young people’s mental health continues to be a priority area for this Government. We are committed to delivering the vision set out in Future in Mind through a major system-wide transformation programme working alongside our partners in the Government and arms’ length bodies. This will improve access and make services more widely available across the country. The core delivery mechanism in making this happen is the system-wide publicly available, Local Transformation Plans (LTPs), that should cover the full spectrum of children and young people’s mental health need from prevention, raised awareness and resilience building to support and care for existing or emerging mental health problems and include plans for how clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will ensure that the needs of all children and young people are met locally. In developing LTPs local areas were asked to work with their key partners across health, education, youth justice and local authorities, and crucially, involving young people and their families, to agree locally how best to meet the mental health needs of children and young people in their local populations, which includes delivery through universal settings and through targeted services for children experiencing mental health problems. LTPs are refreshed annually, and it is for CCGs and their partners to decide which local organisations should be involved in developing and refreshing these plans.  A national programme of work will support local areas, including the extension and expansion of the use of evidence-based interventions, tackling stigma, improving data and information to inform greater transparency and accountability and developing a specialist and stronger workforce. The Department has also invested £3 million into MindEd to improve awareness and knowledge of children and young people’s mental health, which provides a free e-learning platform so that those in contact with children can better recognise when a child needs help and ensures they get it. MindEd is extending the skills and knowledge of National Health Service clinicians, staff working in universal settings, such as teachers, social workers, and counsellors and supervisors working in a range of educational and youth settings.

Cancer: Research

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding has been invested by (a) his Department, (b) the National Institute for Health Research and (c) the Medical Research Council in research on (i) bowel, (ii) prostate, (iii) breast, (iv) lung, (v) testicular and (vi) throat cancer in each of the last seven years.

Nicola Blackwood: During the last seven years, the Department has funded research through its Policy Research Programme (PRP) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The PRP commissions research to inform the development and implementation of policy, and the Department’s investment in cancer research is mainly through the NIHR. Spend on research funded directly by NIHR is categorised by Health Research Classification System (HRCS) health categories including ‘cancer’. There are no HRCS health sub-categories such as for bowel cancer and other specific cancer sites and information on total annual NIHR spend on research on specific cancer sites is not held. A figure for total NIHR cancer research spend in 2016/17 is not yet available. Figures for the previous six years are as follows:  £ million2010/11100.92011/12104.12012/13133.22013/14129.92014/15134.72015/16142.4 The Medical Research Council (MRC) is an independent research funding body which receives its grant in aid from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. MRC expenditure on cancer research includes research into the biology, causes, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer as well as research on outcomes. Figures for MRC cancer research spend are provided below (source: National Cancer Research Institute). Data on spend from 2015 is not currently available.  £ million2010107.72011112.1201295.8201379.9201476.2 Information on MRC spend on research on specific cancer sites covering the seven year period requested is not held and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Darlington Memorial Hospital

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the timetable is for a decision to be taken on the proposed closure of the accident and emergency wing at Darlington Hospital.

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed closure of the accident and emergency wing at Darlington Memorial Hospital on mortality rates in that area.

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed closure of the accident and emergency wing at Darlington Memorial Hospital on waiting times for ambulances in that area.

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed closure of the accident and emergency (A&E) wing at Darlington Memorial Hospital on average length of journey times to A&E for those patients whose nearest A&E is currently based at that hospital.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Better Health Programme is part of the Durham, Darlington, Tees, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Sustainability and Transformation Plan. At this stage no decisions have been made about changes to individual hospitals, and once firm proposals have been agreed, these will need to be subject to public consultation, planned for later this year. NHS England is working with the local ambulance service to work through issues such as travel time, capacity and demand.

Care Homes: Standards

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to propose a statutory instrument obliging care homes to notify the Care Quality Commission when banning, restricting or evicting a relative or a resident.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with representatives from the Care Quality Commission on the banning of relatives from care homes.

David Mowat: Following the announcement of the General Election on 8 June, decisions on the future policy for adult social care will be taken by the new Government. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 cover the fundamental standards, the standards below which care must never fall. These regulations also set out that care home providers should enable a resident to see their family and friends if the resident wants to. Failure to comply with some of the fundamental standards is an offence. As part of the work across adult social care to develop a framework for improving the quality of adult social care, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are developing the information collected from care providers. The CQC has shared its intention to extend the information it can already request from providers to include information about restrictions of visiting rights.

Dementia: Southampton

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding his Department plans to allocate to Southampton in support of dementia services over the next five years.

David Mowat: Information on how much funding will be allocated to dementia services in Southampton over the next five years is not available centrally. NHS England allocates funding to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) which commission services on behalf of their local populations. It is for CCGs to decide how best to use the funding allocated to them in line with local healthcare needs and priorities. Additionally, people with a diagnosis of dementia may also qualify for social care support. Eligibility for such support is based on the care needs of the individual concerned, and not by a diagnosis or having a particular condition.

Darlington Memorial Hospital

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the proposed closure of the accident and emergency wing at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Mr Philip Dunne: The design and delivery of frontline health services is a matter for the National Health Service to determine locally – clinically led by frontline NHS organisations and clinicians who are closest to the needs of communities and therefore best placed to make decisions in the interests of their patients.The principles for service change are enshrined in the four reconfiguration tests which state that all local reconfiguration plans should demonstrate: support from commissioners, strong public and patient engagement, clear clinical evidence base and support for patient choice.

General Practitioners: Standards

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time was for a GP appointment in (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey, (c) the South East and (d) England in each of the last seven years.

David Mowat: Information on the average waiting time for general practitioner (GP) appointments at local and national level is not collected or held centrally. The GP Patient Survey, published by NHS England, asks respondents across England how long it took for them to see a GP or a nurse after contacting their practice. The full set of survey releases can be found here: https://gp-patient.co.uk/surveys-and-reports According to the latest release, published in July 2016: - Almost two in five patients (37.6%) said that they were able to see or speak to someone on the same day as initially contacting the surgery,- One in ten (10.7%) saw someone on the next working day,- Three in ten patients (29.3%) saw or spoke to someone a few days later,- 18.6% waited a week or more to see or speak to someone.This does not take account of circumstances where patients express a preference to pre-book an appointment for a later date. The Government is committed to improving access to general practice. By 2020, everyone will have access to routine evening and weekend appointments.

Hospitals: Attendance

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hospital appointments were missed in (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey, (c) the South East and (d) England in each of the last seven years.

Mr Philip Dunne: The numbers of missed appointments are not collected at constituency level. The numbers of missed appointments reported by commissioning organisations are shown in the attached table. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) replaced primary care trusts (PCTs) on 1 April 2013. The area covered by North West Surrey CCG includes Woking; prior to April 2013, all areas within Surrey were covered by Surrey PCT.



PQ71938 attached table
(Word Document, 14.63 KB)

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Research: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support investment in science research at universities in Coventry.

Joseph Johnson: The Government is fully committed to maintaining the UK’s world-leading science, research and higher education base. According to Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data the University of Warwick and Coventry University received public research funding from Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Research Councils of £72.6 million and £4.32 million respectively in 2015/16. The Autumn Statement 2016 announcement of an extra £2 billion a year in research and development by 2020-21 underlines the place of science and innovation at the heart of this Government’s industrial strategy.

Climate Change: Snow and Ice

Mr Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2017 to Question 66793, whether the climate models referred to rely on computer simulations only rather than observational evidence.

Mr Nick Hurd: The evidence that present rates of decline in the extent of Arctic sea ice are not consistent with reasonably expected natural variability does not rely on computer simulations alone. Detection of the decline is based on observations. Both observations and models are used to estimate natural variability in the climate system, and attribute the most likely cause for the detected decline.

Climate Change: Snow and Ice

Mr Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 29 March 2017 to Question 68956, whether the climate models referred to rely on computer simulations only rather than observational evidence.

Mr Nick Hurd: The evidence that declines of snow and ice, other than of Arctic sea ice extent, are not consistent with reasonably expected natural variability does not rely on computer simulations alone. Detection of declining snow and ice is based on observations. Both observations and models are used to estimate natural variability in the climate system, and attribute the most likely cause for the detected declines.

Energy: Housing

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment the Government has made of the accuracy of the data held by energy companies on the energy consumption patterns of households in the last 12 months.

Jesse Norman: Under terms in the supply license, energy companies must take all reasonable steps to obtain a meter reading for each customer at least once a year.Customers may submit their own meter readings to energy companies at any time to avoid an estimated bill. If a supplier considers a customer’s reading to be reasonably accurate they must take all reasonable steps to reflect the meter reading in the next bill or statement of account. If a meter reading provided by a customer is considered not to be reasonably accurate, the supplier will ask for another reading or arrange to read the meter themselves.The installation of smart meters, which is scheduled to be completed by 2020, should enable suppliers to provide more accurate bills, based upon actual readings transmitted by each meter.

Energy Intensive Industries: Trade Competitiveness

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 13 April 2017 to Question 70406, on energy intensive industries: trade competitiveness, whether such compensation funding has been allocated on a rolling basis until an exemption is secured or a set amount has been committed to the policy.

Jesse Norman: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Ministry of Defence

RAF Northolt

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to consult residents and representative organisations in Harrow on the future of RAF Northolt; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: As RAF Northolt remains a core RAF Station, there are no plans to consult residents on its future.

RAF Northolt

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to allow an increase in the number of (a) civilian and (b) military flight movements at RAF Northolt; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: There are no plans to increase the number of civilian commercial movements which remain capped at 12,000 movements per year.There is no cap on military movements which will fluctuate in line with military requirements.

Air Force: Anniversaries

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2017 to Question 70282, if he will take steps as part of the 100th anniversary commemorations of the RAF to arrange for the name MacRobert's Spirit to be given to a Typhoon fighter aircraft.

Mark Lancaster: There are no plans to name a RAF Typhoon aircraft "MacRobert's Spirit" as part of the 100th anniversary commemorations of the RAF.

Gamecock Barracks

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current number of (a) family houses and (b) single living accommodation is at Gamecock Barracks, Nuneaton; and what proportion of that accommodation is occupied.

Mark Lancaster: There are 229 Service Family Accommodation properties at Gamecock Barracks, of which 201 are occupied, and 497 Single Living Accommodation beds, of which 369 are occupied.

Armed Forces: Hospitals

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse has been of upgrades to 34 Field Hospital in the last 10 years.

Mark Lancaster: The infrastructure costs for 34 Field Hospital are not held separately. The cost of infrastructure upgrades at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall for the financial years (FY) available are set out below:FY 2014-15 £0.7 million[1]FY 2013-14 £0.8 millionFY 2012-13 £0.8 million[1] Estimated due to lack of access to legacy systems.

Imphal Barracks

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current status of Building 140 on Imphal Barracks is.

Mark Lancaster: Building 140 on Imphal Barracks has been demolished. It was an unused building prior to demolition, with no requirement for it to be refurbished, and it was therefore more cost effective to knock it down.

Military Bases: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish an equality impact assessment on the proposal to close military sites in the City of York.

Mark Lancaster: The Department's intention to close Imphal Barracks in 2031 and Towthorpe Lines and Queen Elizabeth Barracks in 2021 forms part of a strategy to optimise the defence estate to better support our Armed Forces.Equality Impact Assessments are carried out to ensure suitable and appropriate reprovisions are made when sites are actually closed. Therefore, the Equality Impact Assessment will not be undertaken until much later in the disposals process.There are currently no plans to publish the Equality Impact Assessment for military sites in the City of York.

Ministry of Defence: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many acres of land his Department owns in York.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence owns approximately 1,722 acres of land in York.

Marines

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to alter the Order of Battle of the Royal Marines; and if he will make a statement.

Mike Penning: There are no current plans to change the order of battle of the Royal Marines.

Fiji: Armed Forces

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues on the status and rights of Fijian citizens in the British Army with Commonwealth passports and indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK to (a) enter UK airports without difficulty and (b) remain in the UK.

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support his Department provides to Fijian citizens in the British Army with Commonwealth passports and indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK on securing their status and residency rights in the UK.

Mark Lancaster: We work very closely with the Home Office, and they have specific rules for Commonwealth personnel in relation to their immigration status while serving and their ability to settle in the UK indefinitely.Under the Immigration Act 1971 Commonwealth Nationals are exempt from immigration control whilst serving as a regular in HM Forces. On request, the Home Office will issue Commonwealth personnel an 'Exempt vignette' to confirm their status. This is issued on enlistment, and is valid for the entirety of their regular service and enables them to come and go from the UK without restriction for the purposes of their duty. A wide range of advice and support is available to Service personnel about their immigration status and they will be sign posted to qualified immigration advisers for help with specific questions and applications.Service personnel can apply to the Home Office for indefinite leave to remain in the UK up to 10 weeks prior to or, if eligible, within two years of discharge, or indefinite leave to enter the UK within two years of leaving the Services if they have returned to their country of origin. The Home Office determine if they meet the eligibility criteria for settlement.

Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the baseline increase attributable to currency fluctuations in his Department's budget (a) is for the current and (b) was for previous financial year.

Sir Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 November 2016 to Question 53647 to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr Smith).



Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
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Armed Forces Covenant Reference Group: Northern Ireland

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what effect the absence of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive has on the ability of the recent appointment of the Northern Ireland representative to the UK-wide Covenant Reference Group to carry out her role.

Mark Lancaster: The Northern Ireland Assembly agreed to nominate appropriate representatives to the national governance bodies of the Armed Forces Covenant on 6 December 2016. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has urged all parties to make appropriate nominations to the Covenant's national governance bodies a priority for the devolved Government once reconvened. In the interim, Northern Ireland's interests on the national governance bodies of the Armed Forces Covenant are represented by Ministers and officials from the Northern Ireland Office.

Russia: Navy

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of (a) the purpose and (b) trends in the level of Russian naval activity around the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap; and if he will make a statement.

Mike Penning: Russian maritime operations are closely monitored. According to Russian doctrine, the purpose of Russian naval activity is to conduct routine operations in support of their national interests, which Russia sees as including surveillance of UK and NATO maritime operations. The general trend of Russian naval activity has been to increase, year on year, since a post-cold war low point around 2000. Russia has a long standing policy of using its maritime capabilities to send strategic messages.

Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the value of forward purchase contracts with the Bank of England for the financial years (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18 is; and what proportion of his Department's expenditure in each of those years those figures represent.

Harriett Baldwin: The answer can be found on page 148 of the Ministry of Defence's 2015-16 Annual Report and Accounts which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/558559/MoD_AR16.pdf

Army

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Order of Battle is and basing arrangements are for 12th Mechanized Brigade.

Mike Penning: The order of battle and current locations of units in 12th (Armoured Infantry) Brigade is set out below: UnitLocationHQ 12th (Armoured Infantry) BrigadeBulford GarrisonThe Kings Royal HussarsTidworth GarrisonThe Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeth’s Own)Catterick Garrison1st Battalion Scots GuardsAldershot Garrison1st Battalion The Yorkshire RegimentTidworth Garrison1St Battalion The Royal WelshTidworth Garrison The Royal Wessex Yeomanry, an Army Reserve Regiment based across Dorset, Devon and Wiltshire also provides support to 12th (Armoured Infantry) Brigade.

Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department keeps copies of planning documents for forward purchase contracts with the Bank of England.

Harriett Baldwin: Forward contracts are placed to cover a proportion of forecast expenditure in US Dollars and Euros. The department keeps detailed records of the forward purchase contracts placed, which cannot be released as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Duncombe Barracks

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Better Defence Estate strategy, what the status of Duncombe Barracks in York is.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Reserve Forces: City of York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reserve personnel are registered in the City of York Local Authority area.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Defence Vetting Agency: City of York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people are employed in the City of York at Defence Business Services National Security Vetting.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Gamecock Barracks

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the merits of re-deploying military units from Strensall to Gamecock Barracks, Nuneaton.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Ministry of Defence: City of York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civil servants are employed by his Department in the City of York; and what proportion those staff represent of all civil servants employed in the City of York.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Armed Forces: Hospitals

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) military, (b) civilian and (c) contracted staff were employed at 34 Field Hospital on the latest date for which figures are available.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Gamecock Barracks

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) military, (b) civilian and (c) contracted staff will be required at Gamecock Barracks as a result of implementation of suggestions made in his Department's Better Defence Estate document.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Veterans: Scotland

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding from the public purse was for charities which support veterans in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence holds information on grants made to units and charities undertaking projects with, for, and including veterans in Scotland from Legacy Funds, the Covenant Fund and the Aged Veterans Fund for the years 2012-13 to 2016-17, as broken down below. Financial Year£30 million Community Covenant Grant Scheme  £35 million Armed Forces Libor Fund  Aged Veteran's Fund  Covenant Fund  Veterans Accommodation Fund  Grand Total 2012-13£5,171,422£240,236   £5,411,6582013-14£975,587£204,000   £1,179,5872014-15£967,869£110,000  £1,101,190£2,179,0592015-16   £1,139,118 £1,139,1182016-17  £3,981,756£692,982 £4,674,738Total  £7,114,878  £554,236 £3,981,756 £1,832,100 £1,101,190 £14,584,160

Armed Forces: Education

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many children of service personnel are currently receiving education in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the City of York local authority area.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Defence Vetting Agency: City of York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Better Defence Estate strategy, what plans he has for the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting in York.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Military Bases: City of York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what safety assessment his Department has carried out on the military sites in the City of York to determine whether the land is suitable for house building.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Queen's Own Yorkshire Yeomanry Museum

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to close the Queen's Own Yorkshire Yeomanry Museum as a result of the proposals in his Department's Better Defence Estate report, published in November 2016.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Armed Forces: Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service houses there are in the City of York local authority area.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Kohima Museum

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to close the Kohima Museum at Imphal Barracks as a result of the proposals in his Department's Better Defence Estate report, published in November 2016.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Military Bases: City of York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's report, A Better Defence Estate, published in November 2016, whether a full asbestos risk assessment has been carried out at military sites in the City of York local authority area.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Gamecock Barracks

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many additional military units are planned to be located at Gamecock Barracks as a result of the proposals in his Department's Better Defence Estate report, published in November 2016; and if he will name those units.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Military Bases: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have had with (i) City of York Council and (ii) representatives of military and civilian units based in York to discuss the Better Defence Estate programme.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Military Bases: City of York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what analysis the military sites in the City of York were subject to prior to the publishing of his Department's Better Defence Estates strategy.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Armed Forces: Training

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the same grade of training facilities are available at (a) Gamecock Barracks, Nuneaton and (b) Strensall Station, York.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Gamecock Barracks

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many additional (a) family houses and (b) single living accommodation will be required for (i) officers and (ii) non-commissioned staff at Gamecock Barracks, Nuneaton as a result of the proposals in his Department's Better Defence Estate report, published in November 2016.

Mark Lancaster: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Human Rights: Minority Groups

Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what programmes his Department runs other than Prevent which aim to ensure that young people from minority ethnic communities understand their rights within UK law.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Department for Communities and Local Government funds a number of integration programmes that bring young people from different backgrounds together to promote social mixing and learn about their rights and responsibilities as UK citizens. For example, our £9.7 million funding for Near Neighbours since 2011 has supported the Catalyst leadership scheme which helps young people in diverse communities to develop leadership skills to help them play their part in building a strong civil society. The Anne Frank Trust works with young people from all backgrounds to help students understand the damage caused by prejudice and hatred. Similarly, Streetwise works with young people to tackle anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hate crime. We have also recently funded the Joseph Interfaith Foundation to support a project which helps young refugees to understand the social culture of Britain and integrate into British society.

Social Rented Housing: Letting Agents

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 4.53 of the White Paper, Fixing our broken housing market, published in February 2017, what his Department's definition is of social lettings agencies.

Gavin Barwell: Social letting agencies can support vulnerable people and people on low incomes to access and sustain tenancies in the private rented sector. There are a number of different models of social letting agencies and in the Housing White Paper we set out our interest in exploring the relative effectiveness of these different models with the aim of securing more housing for households who would otherwise struggle – providing security for landlords and support for tenants.

Communities and Local Government: Data Protection

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) official and (b) official sensitive documents have been recorded as lost by his Department since 8 May 2015.

Mr Marcus Jones: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Letting Agents: North East

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reasons no venue in the North East was chosen for a letting agents' fees ban workshop.

Gavin Barwell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Homes and Communities Agency: Public Appointments

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the Homes and Communities Agency Board are (a) women, (b) from black or minority ethnic backgrounds, (c) disabled or (d) from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Gavin Barwell: I will ask the Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency to write to the hon. Member with this information.

Local Government Finance: Sunderland

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reductions in local authority funding on Sunderland City Council's delivery of essential services.

Mr Marcus Jones: Sunderland’s Core Spending Power was £232 million in 2015-16 and will be £231 million in 2019-20. The 4 year settlement means councils can plan ahead with confidence.Local authorities are independent of central government and are responsible for managing their budgets in line with local priorities. Local spending decisions are better made by people who understand their communities and who are best placed to make the right call.Sunderland City Council, like other councils, have continued to balance their budget while reducing council tax in real terms and maintaining public satisfaction with services.The Spending Review took account of the costs of delivery of essential services and set out a sustainable basis for local authorities to discharge their functions. In addition, Spring Budget 2017 announced a further £2 billion funding in England to spend on adult social care over the next 3 years, of which Sunderland was allocated over £14 million over the next 3 years.

Communities and Local Government: Land

Mr Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraphs 1.296 and 1.297 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what progress his Department has made by estimated capacity of land sold since March 2016 in identifying and disposing of land to meet the Government's commitment.

Gavin Barwell: In March we published a Government Review: Making Commercial Terms of Government Land Disposals More Transparent. The report committed to publish details of Government land sales annually, with the first publication in summer 2017. The report will include all sales in 2015/16 and 2016/17.Progress towards meeting the housing ambition is set out in Table 3 of the Public Land for Housing Programme Annual Report published in February 2017 which shows that between 8 May 2015 and 30 September 2016, DCLG released land with capacity for 6,618 homes, generating £145,783,417 in receipts.As a major landowner the Government has a crucial role to play in managing its estate more efficiently to secure best value for money for the taxpayer, boost growth and help support the building of new homes.

Communities and Local Government: Conditions of Employment

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of staff employed by his Department are employed on a contract which is (a) full-time permanent, (b) part-time permanent, (c) for less than two years' duration, (d) on an agency basis and (e) zero-hours.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 20 April 2017



As of 31 March 2017 the Department had 1453 total staff directly employed on the payroll broken down by the following employment classificiations, full time/part time status and length of contract: Employment ClassFull TimePart TimeTotal CountTotal %Count%Count%Permanent116880.4%15510.7%132391.1%Fixed Term Appt (0 - 2 Years)886.1%50.3%936.4%Fixed Term Appt (2+ Years)10.1%00.0%10.1%Paid Loan In (0 - 2 Years)312.1%10.1%322.2%Paid Secondment In (0-2 Years)10.1%00.0%10.1%Paid Loan In (2+ Years)30.2%00.0%30.2%Grand Total129288.9%16111.1%1453100.0%Separately, the Department had three members of staff employed on an agency basis at the same date, however these staff are not included in the payroll headcount and as such are not presented as a proportion of the Department's total staffing.The Department has no employees working on zero-hours contracts.

Communities and Local Government: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2017 to Question 64994, on procurement, what estimate he has made of the amount spent on procurement management in each year since 2010.

Mr Marcus Jones: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Leasehold: Prices

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the ratio of the average prices paid for newbuild leasehold houses compared with newbuild freehold houses in (a) Gateshead, (b) London, (c) Wigan, (d) Manchester, (e) Bootle, (f) Liverpool and (g) Runcorn.

Gavin Barwell: Such estimates can be calculated using publically available HM Land Registry Price Paid Data but it is a complex exercise that would not be completed before Parliament prorogues.

Revenue Support Grant: Calderdale

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much central government funding from the revenue support grant Calderdale Council has received in each of the last seven years.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 25 April 2017



It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Rents

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to appoint a Living Rent Commission to (a) determine a definition of affordable rent and (b) make recommendations on rent levels for all housing provided by local authorities and private registered providers in England.

Gavin Barwell: Affordable Rent is defined in Regulation 19 of the Social Housing Rents (Exceptions and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2016. The Government committed in the Housing White Paper to set, a rent policy for social housing landlords to help them to borrow against future income.

Right to Buy Scheme

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to announce the locations for the regional pilots of the extended voluntary right to buy scheme announced in the Autumn Statement 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Gavin Barwell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Right to Buy Scheme: Blackpool

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he expects Blackpool housing associations to be included in the extended regional pilots of the voluntary right to buy scheme announced in the Autumn Statement 2016.

Gavin Barwell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Business Improvement Districts

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support communities that wish to create a Business Improvement District; and what (a) financial support and (b) advice is available to such communities on initial start-up costs.

Andrew Percy: The Government has committed to helping communities establishing Business Improvement Districts given the positive impact they have on their local areas.We have provided funding totalling £658,555. The latest round for new areas seeking support closed in February 2017, and applications are being processed.Although there are many organisations offering advice to communities on establishing a Business Improvement District, we have published supporting guidance and best practice which can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-improvement-districts-guidance-and-best-practice

Mental Health: Older People

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if the Government will encourage local authorities to make use of Age UK's loneliness heat map to identify needs in local areas.

Mr Marcus Jones: It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Private Rented Housing: Southwark

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average rent for a two-bedroom property in the London Borough of Southwark has been in each of the last seven years.

Gavin Barwell: Statistics on the private rental market in England and in each local authority district including the London Borough of Southwark are published by the Valuation Office Agency and are available at the following link.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/private-rental-market-summary-statistics-october-2015-to-september-2016The Valuation Office Agency advises that because the composition of this sample changes over time, it is not possible to compare median rents provided in this publication with statistics in previous publications to infer trends in the rental market over time. The statistics therefore provide a snapshot that shows the range of rents across England.The official source on change over time in cost of renting in Great Britain and London, is the Office for National Statistics Index of Private Housing Rental Prices available at the following link.https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/indexofprivatehousingrentalprices/mar2017

Mental Health: Older People

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to encourage local authorities to incorporate loneliness reduction strategies into their strategic planning.

Mr Marcus Jones: It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt. hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Non-domestic Rates: Private Education

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of business rate relief for fee-paying schools in England for each of the last five years.

Mr Marcus Jones: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Non-domestic Rates: Schools

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the amount of business rates paid by state schools in England in each of the last five years.

Mr Marcus Jones: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Extended Ministerial Offices

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the total payroll cost of his Department's Extended Ministerial Office was; and how many civil servants worked in that office during its existence.

Mr Marcus Jones: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Housing: South Gloucestershire

Luke Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether South Gloucestershire Council has made any funding applications to his Department for new developments, spatial plans or strategic development sites in Thornbury and Yate constituency.

Gavin Barwell: In 2016/17 South Gloucestershire Council submitted an application for Garden Villages capacity funding and an application for Large Sites and Housing Zones capacity funding in Thornbury and Yate constituency. These were unsuccessful.South Gloucestershire Council also submitted a joint application for Large Sites and Housing Zones capacity funding in 2016/17 with Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council and North Somerset Council. This funding application included some sites within the Thornbury and Yate constituency. The funding application was unsuccessful.

Garden Communities: South Gloucestershire

Luke Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the outcome of South Gloucestershire Council's application to the large sites and housing zones capacity fund for a new Buckover Garden Village is.

Gavin Barwell: South Gloucestershire Council put in an application for Large Sites and Housing Zones capacity funding 2016/17 for Buckover garden village. This was unsuccessful.

Housing Associations: Right to Buy Scheme

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many housing association tenants have bought their home through the right to buy scheme to date.

Gavin Barwell: There are different types of schemes through which housing association tenants can buy their own home through Right to Buy.Since 1997, over 101,000 tenants have bought under these schemes.

HM Treasury

VAT Exemptions: Schools

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of granting a VAT exemption to non-maintained special schools that support severely disabled children to bring those schools into line with the VAT exemption that applies to maintained special schools, special academies and special free schools.

Jane Ellison: Non-Maintained Special Schools provide education within the meaning of the Education Acts, which is exempt from VAT.

PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2017 to Question 71092, on PAYE, what proportion of BACS payments are checked using the BACS hash against the payment received in the individual's bank account.

Jane Ellison: Where a customer makes payment by BACS using a BACS Service User Number, HM Revenue and Customs systems check 100% of returns against individual bank accounts.

PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2016 to Question 53970, on PAYE, when HM Revenue and Customs plans to publish its post-implementation review of Real Time Information.

Jane Ellison: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to Question 71628.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Dan Jarvis: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to regulate insurance premiums to protect the no-claims bonus for people who make a claim for no fault of their own.

Simon Kirby: The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the current regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority. The Government keeps all policy under review and it will be for any new Government to set the direction of future policy on insurance premiums.

Credit Cards

Dan Jarvis: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to close the loophole of third-party payment systems severing ties between a consumer and a credit card supplier for the purposes of section 75 Consumer Credit Act protection.

Simon Kirby: Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 sets out the potential liability of creditors for breaches by suppliers in debtor-creditor-supplier agreements, so that credit card companies must take responsibility if a supplier cannot satisfy a consumer’s purchase. To fall within section 75, there has to be an agreement to finance a transaction between a debtor and a third party supplier and there must be existing arrangements between the creditor and the supplier. If a credit card is used to pay through a third party intermediary service, the conditions in section 75 may not be met. This is the case where the supplier has an arrangement with the intermediary but has no arrangement or contact with the creditor. This aims to strike the right balance between consumer protections and proportionate burdens on business.

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Royston Smith: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been raised from the soft drinks industry levy in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of likely revenue from that levy in the next three years.

Jane Ellison: The Soft Drinks Industry Levy comes into force in April 2018, and as such has raised no revenue in the last 12 months. At the Budget in March 2017, the Chancellor announced that the levy is now forecast to raise approximately £385m per annum from April 2018, which is less than the £520m originally forecast due to strong reformulation responses from the industry. This is a central forecast independently verified by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The Government will still fund the Department for Education’s budget with the £1 billion that the levy was originally expected to raise over this Parliament, including money to double the primary schools sports premium and deliver additional funding for school breakfast clubs, and £415 million to be invested in a new healthy pupils capital programme.

Department for International Trade

Nuclear Weapons: North Korea

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that no parts made in the UK are used in the North Korean nuclear programme.

Mark Garnier: The UN and EU have imposed sanctions on North Korea; these are directly applicable to the UK and prohibit the export of equipment that could be used in the North Korean nuclear programme.All export licence applications are considered against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. These include in particular Criterion 1, the UK’s obligations and its commitments to enforce United Nations, European Union and Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) arms embargoes, as well as national embargoes observed by the UK and other commitments regarding the application of strategic export controls and Criterion 7, the risk that the items will be diverted within the buyer country or re-exported under undesirable conditions.

Arms Trade: Exports

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which (a) Government department and (b) body is responsible for (i) assessing and (ii) authorising arms export applications.

Mark Garnier: The Export Control Organisation within the Department for International Trade is the UK’s licensing authority for military and dual use exports, and the Secretary of State for International Trade is responsible for decisions to grant or refuse export licences. These decisions are always informed by assessments carried out against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria by a number of advisory Government Departments.I refer the hon Member for Birmingham, Hall Green to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West on 25 April 2017, UIN: 70268.

Export Control Organisation: Staff

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many full-time equivalent staff of his Department currently work in the (a) Export Control Joint Unit and (b) Export Control Organisation.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many people currently work within the (a) Export Control Joint Unit and (b) Export Control Organisation on secondment from (i) other Government Departments and (ii) outside the Civil Service.

Mark Garnier: Export Control Joint Unit full-time equivalent staffing stands at 100, of which the DIT Export Control Organisation = 78; Foreign & Commonwealth Office = 14; and Ministry of Defence = 8.No staff are seconded from outside the Civil Service to the Export Control Joint Unit or Export Control Organisation. One person, a Civil Service Fast Streamer, is seconded from another Government Department to the Export Control Organisation. All other staff working within Export Control Joint Unit remain on their own departmental headcount, be it DIT/FCO/MOD.

Trade Promotion

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what programmes his Department has put in place to use the skills and networks of UK citizens living abroad to promote UK trade.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade promotes export opportunities to British companies through our overseas network of 174 offices across 109 countries, offering specialised support services tailored to the needs of individual opportunities, setting up trade missions and events, and providing introductions and helping address barriers to markets. Furthermore, GREAT.gov.uk helps UK business to find thousands of export opportunities in markets around the world, be on-boarded onto the world’s largest global e-commerce sites or be connected directly with international buyers.

Export Control Organisation

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will list the responsibilities of the Export Control Joint Unit; and what the relationship is between that unit and the Export Control Organisation.

Mark Garnier: The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) co-locates DIT’s Export Control Organisation (ECO) and the export licensing teams from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). ECO is the Government’s regulatory body for military and dual use exports and the Secretary of State for International Trade is responsible for decisions to grant or refuse export licences. MOD and FCO advise the Department for International Trade on specific aspects of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria against which each licence application is assessed.The MOD team in ECJU also manages the Form 680 process which controls the release by industry of equipment or information with a classification of Official-Sensitive or above, including in marketing campaigns, to foreign end-users.

Department for International Trade: Deloitte

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many contracts Deloitte has with his Department; and how much each such contract is worth.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade does not have any contracts with Deloitte.

Department for International Trade: Deloitte

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what tenders have been awarded to Deloitte by his Department since 1 January 2017.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade has not awarded any tenders to Deloitte since January 2017.

Department for International Trade: Contracts

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what due diligence procedures are in place to ensure that advice on exports and support services provided by private sector contractors for his Department are independent and unbiased.

Greg Hands: All contractors employed to provide advice on exports and support services are provided with relevant policies and are required to comply with robust governance procedures overseen by line managers. This is underpinned by contractual obligations on contractors such as, full disclosure of interests to ensure impartiality and address potential conflict.

Department for International Trade: Contracts

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which functions of his Department have been conducted by private sector providers since 1 July 2016.

Greg Hands: There are no functions of the Department for International Trade that have been entirely provided by a private company since July 2016.

Trade Promotion

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what proportion of international trade and exporting advice services provided by his Department has been subcontracted to private businesses.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade operates a mixed economy of civil servants, third sector and private sector partners in the UK and in post. It elects its partners for specific services based on requirements and the organisation best placed to deliver them.

Export Control Organisation

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the total operating budget of the (a) Export Control Joint Unit and (b) Export Control Organisation was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Mark Garnier: The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) is funded by the contributing departments through their own budgets. The Department for International Trade provides the office space, with each department funding its own staff and IT systems. As such there is no specific operating budget.The annual operating budget for DIT’s Export Control Organisation in 2016/17 was £3.2m.

Nigeria: Trade Agreements

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Nigeria.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Malaysia.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Indonesia.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Russia.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with India.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with New Zealand.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Saudi Arabia.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with the United Arab Emirates.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Brazil.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Canada.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with the US.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Kenya.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Uruguay.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Argentina.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Chile.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Mexico.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with South Africa.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with the Philippines.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Bangladesh.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Pakistan.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Japan.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on initiating formal bilateral trade negotiations with Australia.

Greg Hands: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Exports: USA

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will hold discussions with the US Secretary of Commerce on the importance and value of UK steel exports to the US.

Greg Hands: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

UK Trade with EU

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress the Government has made on securing a future trade deal with the EU.

Greg Hands: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Women and Equalities

Pregnancy: Advisory Services

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what the Government's policy is on whether organisations which lobby against a woman's right to choose whether to continue with a pregnancy should be permitted to receive public funds.

Caroline Dinenage: All grants are made in accordance with the Government’s Grants Standards (www.gov.uk/government/publications/grants-standards) which are designed to ensure taxpayers’ money, awarded through government grants, is properly agreed and spent. The standards provide a transparent and robust way to manage the government grants process.

Department for Transport

Crossrail Line

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that Crossrail is extended to Harrow and Wealdstone station; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: The Department for Transport, in conjunction with Transport for London and Network Rail, has undertaken a feasibility study to review whether there was a case to extend the existing Crossrail 1 (Elizabeth line) route north to Tring via a link to the West Coast Main Line. It was thought that the link may provide improved journey times and connectivity opportunities along the route. However, the business case found little journey time saving compared to passengers using current routes. Consequently, no further steps will be taken to progress this extension proposal at this time.

Arriva

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that Arriva does not reduce the (a) number of staff on trains and (b) pay of any staff during the implementation of driver controlled operation in the Northern Rail franchise.

Paul Maynard: Staffing levels and rates of pay are a matter for the train operator to determine in delivering its Franchise Agreement requirements.

High Speed Two: Contracts

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date the first contract between HS2 Ltd and CH2M was signed.

Andrew Jones: The first contract between HS2 Ltd and CH2M was effective from 3 February 2012. This contract was for CH2M to support HS2 Ltd during the development stage of Phase 1.

Shipping: Training

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding was available to employers from the Support for Maritime Training budget for (a) trainee seafarer ratings, (b) rating to officer conversion and (c) officer cadets in 2016-17.

Mr John Hayes: The Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) budget in 2016-17 was £15 million and was available to employers, as sponsoring companies, for approved training of (a) trainee seafarer ratings, (b) rating to officer conversions and (c) officer cadets. Although SMarT has a fixed budget, funding continues to be allocated on the basis of demand, all of which was met in full in 2016-17.

Lower Thames Crossing

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many responses to the Lower Thames Crossing Consultation were associated with a campaign by Higham Parish Council; and how many of those responses (a) answered all questions in the consultation, (b) answered a majority of questions in the consultation, (c) provided identical responses, (d) provided individually tailored responses, (e) were included in the analysis of individual bespoke responses to the consultation and (f) were not included in the analysis of individual bespoke responses to the consultation.

Mr John Hayes: The analysis of consultation responses is available in the Ipsos MORI report published on 12 April 2017, the post-consultation Scheme Assessment Report and the Response to Consultation, available online at www.lower-thames-crossing.co.uk. Highways England do not hold a breakdown of all figures specifically requested in each of these questions but have provided specific figures and breakdowns where this are available. 946 people were categorised as part of the Higham Parish Council campaign. Of those, 6 submitted identically worded responses for all questions and 940 participants provided a response based on this campaign which:- included a partial version of the text with or without their own personal comments, or- included the full version of this text plus additional personal comments. Comments provided by participants were summarised and analysed along with other consultation responses.

Lower Thames Crossing

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people expressed a view directly or via third parties to his Department, Highways England and Ipsos Mori about Option A during the period of the Lower Thames Crossing Consultation between 26 January 2016 and 24 March 2016, including consultation responses, letters, emails and petition signatories that (a) agree or tend to agree, (b) disagree or tend to disagree  and (c) neither agree nor disagree with Option A; and how many of those views were (i) associated and (ii) not associated with an organised campaign.

Mr John Hayes: Detail of the analysis of consultation responses is available in the Ipsos MORI report published on 12 April 2017, the post-consultation Scheme Assessment Report and the Response to Consultation, available online at www.lower-thames-crossing.co.uk. Highways England do not hold a breakdown of all figures specifically requested in each of these questions but have provided specific figures and breakdowns where this are available. The 2,928 who responded via the questionnaire (a) 1,760 made comments in support of Location A (b) 1,165 made comments opposing Location A in their free text responses. One of these campaigns specifically suggested a new north-bound bridge crossing at Dartford as the solution. This campaign is referenced as ‘Campaign 11, Adam Holloway MP’ in the Ipsos MORI report and received 42 signatures.

Lower Thames Crossing

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people expressed a view directly or via third parties to his Department, Highways England and Ipsos Mori about Option C during the period of the Lower Thames Crossing Consultation between 26 January 2016 and 24 March 2016, including consultation responses, letters, emails and petition signatories that (a) agree or tend to, (b) disagree or tend to disagree and (c) neither agree nor disagree with Option C; and how many of those views were (i) associated and (ii) not associated with an organised campaign.

Mr John Hayes: The decision and announcement of the preferred route for the Lower Thames Crossing followed an exhaustive review of options and extensive analysis to Highways England 2016 public consultation. Each consultation response was considered very carefully and Highways England carried out further assessment of the options before making their recommendation to Government. Those who responded to the consultation through dedicated response channels (and within the consultation period) as part of an organised campaign group, are included in the consultation report. Of the 47,034 responses received, 13,284 were identified as being associated with organised campaigns, which are identically worded responses.  A total of 32,872 members of the public answered this question using the questionnaire, as follows:19,729 Agree with Option C11,998 Disagree with Option C1,011 Neither support nor oppose134 Don’t know A total of 447 organisations answered this question using the questionnaire. The breakdown is as follows:307 Agree with Option C115 Disagree with Option C23 neither support nor oppose2 Don’t know Detail of the analysis of consultation responses is available in the Ipsos MORI report published on 12 April 2017, the post-consultation Scheme Assessment Report and the Response to Consultation, available online at www.lower-thames-crossing.co.uk

Lower Thames Crossing

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many respondents to the Lower Thames Crossing Consultation (a) completed all questions, (b) completed more than half of the questions, (c) answered at least one question and (d) did not specifically answer consultation questions; and how many of those responses were categorised as (i) individual bespoke responses and (ii) organised campaign responses in each case.

Mr John Hayes: Highways England do not hold a breakdown of the specific figures requested. The number of responses to each question which were answered via the questionnaire is provided in the Ipsos MORI report. Bespoke responses via letter or email generally did not answer specific questions or follow the format set out in the questionnaire. Detail of the analysis of consultation responses is available in the Ipsos MORI report published on 12 April 2017, the post-consultation Scheme Assessment Report and the Response to Consultation, available online at www.lower-thames-crossing.co.uk.

Lower Thames Crossing

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of views considered by the Lower Thames Crossing Consultation were (a) in favour of Option A, (b) opposed to Option A, (c) in favour of Option C and (d) opposed to Option C; and how many of those responses were categorised as (i) individual bespoke responses and (ii) organised campaign responses under each of those categories.

Mr John Hayes: Detail of the analysis of consultation responses is available in the Ipsos MORI report published on 12 April 2017, the post-consultation Scheme Assessment Report and the Response to Consultation, available online at www.lower-thames-crossing.co.uk. Highways England do not hold a breakdown of all figures specifically requested in each of these questions but have provided specific figures and breakdowns where this are available. Specifically on the views in relation to Location A: Of the 2,928 who responded via the questionnaire:(a) 1,760 made comments in support of Location A(b) 1,165 made comments opposing Location A in their free text responses. Specifically on the views considered in relation to Location C, a total of 32,872 members of the public and 447 organisations answered this question using the questionnaire. Views for and against are broken down as follows:c) 19,729 members of the public and 307 organisations supported Location C.d) 11,998 members of the public and 115 organisations disagreed with Location C. 13,258 responses were submitted via letter or email. Of the 47,034 responses received, 13,284 were identified as being associated with organised campaigns, which are identically worded responses. One of these campaigns specifically suggested a new north-bound bridge crossing at Dartford as the solution. This campaign is referenced as ‘ Campaign 11, Adam Holloway MP’, in the Ipsos MORI report and received 42 signatures. Other campaigns were in opposition to a new crossing Location C and in opposition to any new crossing in Thurrock.

Merchant Shipping: Training

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government plans to review the Certificates of Equivalent Competency system.

Mr John Hayes: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has a specialist team that checks that any seafarer, who applies for a Certificate of Equivalent Competency to allow them to work on a UK-flagged ship, meets the necessary standards. The UK Government is satisfied that the process is working and has no plans to change the current arrangements.

Railways: Finance

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish his Department's High Level Output Specification and Statement of Funds Available for Control Period Six.

Paul Maynard: As part of the Periodic Review 2018 Process, the independent Office of Rail and Road has published its Review Initiation Notice, which legally requires Government to produce the High Level Output Specification and Statement of Funds Available by 20 July 2017. The Government will meet its legal obligations and intends to publish these documents by the deadline.

Railways: Electrification

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on his Department's plans to electrify the (a) Midland Main Line and (b) North Transpennine Route; and what Network Rail's estimated expenditure has been in each of those projects to date.

Paul Maynard: Work is ongoing to deliver the Midland Main Line programme, which includes electrification as well as capacity and journey time improvement works, and we are on track to deliver the next key output milestone by 2019 which will enable the next East Midlands franchise to deliver more capacity and faster journeys. Network Rail's estimated expenditure to date on this programme is approximately £330 million (cash prices).The Transpennine Route Upgrade, which intends to deliver faster journeys and increased capacity between Manchester, Leeds and York by the end of 2022, is currently in the design and development phase. It is not possible to separate the cost of the work on proposed electrification from the other development costs.

Rail Delivery Group

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what dates officials of his Department attended the Rail Delivery Group's Periodic Review 2018 enhancements working group.

Paul Maynard: Officials from the Department for Transport attended meetings of the Rail Delivery Group’s Periodic Review 2018 enhancements working group on the following dates: 9 September 20164 October 20167 December 20167 February 201726 April 2017 In attending the meeting on 26 April, officials took care to comply with the relevant Cabinet Office guidance on conduct during the pre-election period.

Network Rail: Disclosure of Information

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason Network Rail has not published minutes of board meetings held since July 2016.

Paul Maynard: Network Rail routinely publishes minutes of board meetings on its website. Network Rail advises that minutes since July 2016 have not yet been published because they are currently progressing through the company’s internal approval process.

Horse Riding: Safety

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to help protect horse riders on the roads; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones: The Highway Code provides advice to be particularly careful around horse riders. The THINK! “Have Some Horse Sense on the Road” campaign reminds motorists of the need to be patient when they encounter horses. The driving theory test contains questions about how drivers should interact with horse riders; and the hazard perception test includes a number of clips where horse riders are the hazard, either directly or indirectly. These clips are updated periodically.

A5

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the A5 between Bicton and Nesscliffe is being considered for dualling in the Road Investment Strategy 2.

Mr John Hayes: The case for dualling this stretch of road will be given thorough consideration based on the evidence that we have been collecting about current and future pressures across the strategic road network. This includes the evidence gathered by Highways England on the A5 in the Midlands to Wales and Gloucestershire Route Strategy and from my recent visit to the area.

A5

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the A5 between Nesscliffe and Ruabon is being considered for dualling in the Road Investment Strategy 2.

Mr John Hayes: The case for dualling this stretch of road will be given thorough consideration based on the evidence that we have been collecting about current and future pressures across the strategic road network. This includes the evidence gathered by Highways England on the A5 in the Midlands to Wales and Gloucestershire Route Strategy and from my recent visit to the area.

Railways: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding provision for the electrification of rail services operating through West Lancashire.

Paul Maynard: The Hendy Review in 2015 re-planned Network Rail’s enhancement programme and as a result Network Rail is spending around £15bn on enhancements. A key part of this programme is the ongoing assessment of investment decisions so that passengers and taxpayers get maximum value. There are no current electrification schemes in the West Lancashire constituency in this enhancement programme.

Railways: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce his decision on funding for the Burscough Curves rail scheme in West Lancashire.

Paul Maynard: No application for funding has been received from relevant local bodies.

Railways: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce his decision on the reopening of the Burscough Curves rail service in West Lancashire.

Paul Maynard: In line with our devolution policies it is for local bodies to decide whether to promote this reopening as a solution to local economic and transport objectives and to secure appropriate funding, including from that made available from Government for these purposes.

Travel: Costs

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the percentage change in real terms of the average cost to the individual of travelling by (a) private car, (b) bus, (c) train and (d) domestic aeroplane since (i) 1980, (ii) 1997, (iii) 2010 and (iv) 2015.

Andrew Jones: The Department for Transport publishes statistics on travel costs, based on data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in the Transport Statistics Great Britain compendium, table 1308. Real terms change in cost of transportMotoring, including the purchase of a vehicleBus and coach faresRail fares(1) Between 1980 and 2016-20%+64%+63%(2) Between 1997 and 2016-16%+33%+23%(3) Between 2010 and 2016-10%+7%+5%(4) Between 2015 and 2016-0.3%+2%-1% (d) The costs of travelling by air are not available from ONS data. However estimates are available based on fare data from the Civil Aviation Authority passenger survey from 2000. The real cost of the average UK one-way air fare, including taxes and charges, covering domestic flights from 2010 to 2015 decreased by 16%. Estimates for 2016 are not yet available.

Taxis: Greater London

Paul Scully: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from the Mayor of London on capping the number of private hire licences in London.

Andrew Jones: The Mayor of London has made no formal representations on capping the number of private hire licences in London to the Secretary of State or DfT Ministers.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Private Education

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much was spent by his Department on private school fees for children of staff who are based (a) in the UK and (b) overseas in 2016-17.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​Members of the diplomatic service must be prepared to serve anywhere in the world throughout their career, sometimes at very short notice. It is long-standing practice that the FCO provides clearly defined and limited financial support to staff for their children's education in the UK.

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's priorities were for the 54th Special Session of the OPCW Executive Council on 13 and 19 April 2017; what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the outcome of those meetings; and if he will make a statement.

Boris Johnson: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 26 April 2017.The correct answer should have been:

​The UK has been at the forefront of those making the case that those found responsible for chemical weapons attacks must be held to account. A UK-US-French attempt to agree UN sanctions in response to previous chemical weapons attacks was vetoed by Russia and China in the UN Security Council on 28 February. In March we helped secure agreement from the EU to add 4 Syrian military officials to the sanctions list for their role in carrying out chemical weapon attacks. We welcome the further sanctions Canada and the US have introduced in recent days. We will continue work with partners to take action against those responsible for chemical weapons attacks. The UK’s priority for the recent session of the OPCW Executive Council was to make clear international condemnation of the 4 April Khan Sheikhoun attack and to confirm our support for the OPCW investigation which began immediately following that attack. We welcome the Executive Council’s overwhelming vote on 20 April to reject a Russian-Iranian proposal which would have distracted from and undermined the OPCW expert investigations which are already under way. We will continue to support the work of the OPCW Fact Finding Mission and the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism.

Boris Johnson: ​The UK has been at the forefront of those making the case that those found responsible for chemical weapons attacks must be held to account. A UK-US-French attempt to agree UN sanctions in response to previous chemical weapons attacks was vetoed by Russia and China in the UN Security Council on 28 February. In March we helped secure agreement from the EU to add 4 Syrian military officials to the sanctions list for their role in carrying out chemical weapon attacks. We welcome the further sanctions Canada and the US have introduced in recent days. We will continue work with partners to take action against those responsible for chemical weapons attacks. The UK’s priority for the recent session of the OPCW Executive Council was to make clear international condemnation of the 4 April Khan Sheikhoun attack and to confirm our support for the OPCW investigation which began immediately following that attack. We welcome the Executive Council’s overwhelming vote on 20 April to reject a Russian-Iranian proposal which would have distracted from and undermined the OPCW expert investigations which are already under way. We will continue to support the work of the OPCW Fact Finding Mission and the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism.

Gulf Cooperation Council

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress his Department has made on the new Strategic Partnership between the UK and the Gulf Co-operation Council announced in December 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK-Gulf Co-operation Council Strategic Partnership covers a broad range of areas of cooperation, including addressing regional foreign policy challenges, counter-terrorism and border security, cyber security, human trafficking, and improving trade and investment ties. Productive discussions have continued since December 2016, and delivery and implementation are ongoing.

Yemen: Baha'i Faith

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received of mass arrests of Baha'is in Sana'a, Yemen during April 2017; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I am deeply concerned by recent developments relating to the Baha’i community in Yemen. The Houthis and all parties in Yemen must respect freedom of religion and the rights of all Yemenis.

Russia: Jehovah's Witnesses

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on recent restrictions placed on the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK is very concerned by the decision of Russia's Supreme Court to categorise the Jehovah's Witnesses as "extremists". This ruling effectively criminalises the peaceful worship by 175,000 Russian citizens and is at odds with the right to religious freedom enshrined in the Russian Constitution. The Minister of State, The Baroness Anelay of St Johns, issued a statement on 21 April expressing these concerns.

Arms Trade: Exports

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to Criterion Two of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, whether his Department's interpretation of a clear risk that items could be used in the commission of serious violations of international humanitarian law establishes a competent authority for determining whether serious violations of international humanitarian law have occurred.

Boris Johnson: The key issue when considering export licence applications under Criterion Two of the Consolidated EU & National Arms Export Licensing Criteria is whether there is a clear risk that the items to be licensed might be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law. It is not necessary, nor always possible, to make a determination about specific past incidents as to whether serious violations of international humanitarian law have occurred.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions since 26 March 2015 his Department's Arms Export Policy Team has received notification of another EU member state's decision to refuse arms export licence applications in which Saudi Arabia was the recipient country; and if he will list the EU member states from whose governments such notifications have been received.

Boris Johnson: My department has received such notifications on 26 occasions since 26 March 2015. Information on denials is shared between EU Member States on a confidential basis and it is not possible to provide further information on specific refusal notifications.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will request an investigation by the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission into allegations of grave breaches or other serious violations of the Geneva Conventions or Protocol 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights by parties to the current conflict in Yemen.

Boris Johnson: ​We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Yemen. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights plays a vital role in objectively monitoring and reporting on human rights in Yemen. The UK welcomes the Government of Yemen's commitment to cooperate with the UN on the protection of human rights.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many export licence applications in which Saudi Arabia was the recipient country were assessed by his Department's Arms Export Policy Team in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17, and how many and what proportion of such applications were referred to (i) the relevant Minister and (ii) the Secretary of State before a recommendation was made to the Department for International Trade or its predecessor Department on whether that application should be approved.

Boris Johnson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Arms Export Policy Team assessed a total of 355 export licence applications in 2015-16 and a further 355 export licence applications in 2016-17. While complex or sensitive cases are referred to me or the relevant Minister, I am unable to provide accurate statistics on the number of such referrals in the time available.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and what proportion of the export licence applications reviewed by his Department in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17 in which Saudi Arabia was the recipient country were sent to the Department for International Trade or its predecessor Department with a recommendation that those applications be approved; and how many such recommendations his Department issued following a review by (i) the relevant Minister and (ii) the Secretary of State.

Boris Johnson: In 2015-16 351 export licence applications were approved by the Department for International Trade following advice from the FCO, representing a proportion of 99.1%. 354 applications out of a total of 355 were similarly approved in 2016-17, representing 99.7% of the total. Whilst complex or sensitive cases are referred to me or the relevant Minister, I am unable to provide accurate statistics on the number of such referrals in the time available.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to help to prevent military action being taken against Syrian civilians by the Assad regime.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The British Government has been clear in its condemnation of regime attacks against civilians in Syria, including the appalling chemical weapons attack on 4 April in Khan Sheikhoun which killed over 70 people and wounded hundreds. We supported the US action against the Shayrat airbase on 7 April. We hope it will deter further use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. By destroying up to 20 strike aircraft, this operation will have reduced the regime's ability to bomb civilians.The UK also continues to support the UN mediated negotiations on a political settlement. Only a transition away from Asad can deliver sustainable peace.

Diplomatic Service: Religious Freedom

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to implement its revised toolkit on freedom of religion or belief by embassies overseas.

Alok Sharma: In October 2016, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) made available to staff a revised Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) toolkit to assist all officials working on human rights both in London and at overseas posts. The revised toolkit provides posts with ideas on how to promote freedom of religion or belief in their local context. To support implementation, we provide training to staff to increase religious literacy, including courses on religion and diplomacy. Building on the FCO's conference in October 2016, posts have been encouraged to make FoRB and countering violent extremism themes of their diplomatic and project work.

Michael Moran

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to assist the Liverpool coroner in relation to the death of Michael Moran on 1 January 2017 in the Netherlands; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: FCO Consular officials have requested documents from the Dutch authorities on behalf of the Liverpool Coroner. They have already passed a copy of the post mortem report to the coroner and have asked the Dutch authorities for an update on the remaining documents.

Michael Moran

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government is making to the Government of the Netherlands to answer questions raised on behalf of the family of Michael Moran who died in Holland on 1 January 2017; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: FCO ​Consular officials have sent a list of questions from the family to the Dutch Prosecutor leading on the case and have been advised that the Dutch authorities will provide the Moran family with answers to their questions. Officials are also helping the family to arrange a meeting with the Prosecutor and a representative from the police team.

South Sudan and Sudan: Security

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the security situation in Sudan and South Sudan.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Despite some improvements, the security situation in Sudan remains concerning; particularly in Darfur and the Two Areas of Blue Nile and South Kordofan. We continue to urge the Government of Sudan and the opposition to reach an agreement on a cessation of hostilities to allow for humanitarian access. We are deeply troubled by the fighting and displacement in South Sudan, particularly in the regions of Greater Upper Nile and the Equatorias. The UK continues to pursue every opportunity to call on all parties to cease hostilities, allow access for humanitarian workers and engage in genuine dialogue.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Emigration

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to protect Sub-Saharan migrants trying to reach Europe against the risk of their being sold as slaves or hostages in Libya.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: UK aid programmes in source and transit countries increasingly focus on jobs and livelihoods, aiming to reduce the need for migrants to leave. We are also targeting people smuggling gangs.The conflict makes Libya a difficult country in which to operate. Nonetheless the UK has committed over £12.4million since October 2015. This funding includes a programme partnering with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to improve living conditions for men and women in detention centres and assist the voluntary repatriation for migrants.The UK is also supporting the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in providing humanitarian relief and immediate lifesaving assistance to vulnerable populations in Libya.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent progress has been made on securing a peace settlement in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Securing a peace settlement to end the conflict is the Government’s top priority in Yemen. We continue to provide financial and diplomatic support to the UN Special Envoy’s efforts to agree a negotiated solution. The UK has played a leading role in working with the US, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman to find a peaceful solution. We will continue to seek regional consensus on the way forward, and to encourage the Yemeni parties to the conflict to engage constructively and in good faith find a political solution.

Turkey: EU Accession

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the implications for his Department's policy on Turkey's bid to become a member of the EU are of the result of the recent Turkish referendum.

Sir Alan Duncan: Turkey continues to be a Candidate Country of the EU. The UK remains of the view that the EU accession process is important to delivering security, stability and prosperity in Turkey. We encourage Turkey to continue to engage constructively with the accession process. As and when candidate countries have met the requirements for accession in full, it will be for those countries and EU members at the time to decide on membership. That point remains some way off.

Paraguay: Gangs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Paraguay on recent gang violence in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​British Embassy officials in Asuncion regularly discuss security issues with the Paraguayan authorities.

Park Geun-hye

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on South Korea's impeached President Park Geun-hye.

Alok Sharma: We are aware of the decision of South Korea's Constitutional Court. We are monitoring the ongoing election campaign. We remain steadfast in our desire for a close partnership with the Republic of Korea and will work together to continue building on our already strong bilateral relationship.

Republic of Ireland: Territorial Waters

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether any areas of sea between the UK and the Republic of Ireland have changed jurisdiction in the last 10 years.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ireland establishing a Single Maritime Boundary between the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of the Two Countries and parts of their Continental Shelves was presented to Parliament in June 2013 (Cm 8666) and subsequently came into force on 31 March 2014 (Treaty Series No. 21 (2014)).The Explanatory Memorandum presented to Parliament alongside Cm 8666 stated that the Agreement firstly amended the existing delimited continental shelf boundary between the UK and Ireland as defined in a 1988 Agreement, a supplementary Protocol of 1992 and an Exchange of Notes of 2001. The effect of the amendment was to transfer part of what was previously Irish Continental Shelf to the UK, in exchange for an area of the UK's Continental Shelf. In amending the existing Continental Shelf boundary the 2014 Agreement superseded both the 1988 Agreement and the 2001 Exchange of Notes, which were terminated.The Agreement then provides for the coordinates of the amended Continental Shelf boundary, up to 200 nautical miles, to delimit also the EEZ boundary between the two states.In negotiating to align a new EEZ boundary with the existing Continental Shelf boundary it was discovered that there were two small areas on the Irish side of the boundary that were more than 200 nautical miles from Irish baselines on their coast. As these could not be incorporated into an Irish EEZ, it was agreed to swap these two areas of Irish Continental Shelf for areas of the UK's Continental Shelf, the areas being of equal size and potential exploitability e.g. for the purposes of hydrocarbons and fisheries.

Republic of Ireland: Territorial Waters

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the jurisdiction of any seas in the northern and southern maritime borders of the UK and the Republic of Ireland have been exchanged in the last 10 years.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ireland establishing a Single Maritime Boundary between the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of the Two Countries and parts of their Continental Shelves was presented to Parliament in June 2013 (Cm 8666) and subsequently came into force on 31 March 2014 (Treaty Series No. 21 (2014)).The Explanatory Memorandum presented to Parliament alongside Cm 8666 stated that the Agreement firstly amended the existing delimited continental shelf boundary between the UK and Ireland as defined in a 1988 Agreement, a supplementary Protocol of 1992 and an Exchange of Notes of 2001. The effect of the amendment was to transfer part of what was previously Irish Continental Shelf to the UK, in exchange for an area of the UK's Continental Shelf. In amending the existing Continental Shelf boundary the 2014 Agreement superseded both the 1988 Agreement and the 2001 Exchange of Notes, which were terminated.The Agreement then provides for the coordinates of the amended Continental Shelf boundary, up to 200 nautical miles, to delimit also the EEZ boundary between the two states.In negotiating to align a new EEZ boundary with the existing Continental Shelf boundary it was discovered that there were two small areas on the Irish side of the boundary that were more than 200 nautical miles from Irish baselines on their coast. As these could not be incorporated into an Irish EEZ, it was agreed to swap these two areas of Irish Continental Shelf for areas of the UK's Continental Shelf, the areas being of equal size and potential exploitability e.g. for the purposes of hydrocarbons and fisheries.

China: Capital Punishment

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Government of China on the use of the death penalty in that country.

Alok Sharma: The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and we continue to urge the Chinese authorities to reduce their use of the death penalty and provide details of the numbers of executions in China. We last raised these concerns at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in October 2016, which I attended.Through our network of diplomatic posts, the UK is working with Chinese legal experts and the Chinese judiciary to support legislative and judicial reforms to limit the use of the death penalty. We have welcomed reductions in the number of crimes that attract the death penalty, and the Supreme People's Court mandatory review of all death sentences.

Israeli Settlements: UN Resolutions

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016).

Mr Tobias Ellwood: ​I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 20 January 2017 (PQ 59710).

Iran: Capital Punishment

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Iran on the use of the death penalty in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances and regularly raise our objections at senior levels with the Iranian government, both bilaterally and through the EU. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have both set out our concerns with their counterparts, as has our Ambassador in Tehran. I have also discussed concerns over Iran’s human rights record with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Iran’s Ambassador to the UK.

Saudi Arabia: Capital Punishment

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Government of Saudi Arabia on the use of the death penalty in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: ​The Government regularly raises the death penalty with the Saudi authorities.The Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country, including Saudi Arabia, especially for crimes other than the most serious and for juveniles, in line Article Six of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Arab Charter on Human Rights.

Christianity: Oppression

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support Christians at risk of religious persecution in countries with a high level of such persecution.

Alok Sharma: The Government supports the right of people of all religions – and non-religious people – to practise their beliefs in peace and safety. We are doing this in a number of ways. Through our bilateral work we lobby host governments to raise individual cases and highlight practices and laws that discriminate against people on the basis of their religion or belief. For example, the Foreign Secretary raised the rights of all Pakistani citizens, including religious minorities, during his visit to Pakistan in November 2016. Multilaterally, we work to sustain consensus support for United Nations Human Rights Council resolutions which promote freedom of religion. We also support a number of projects at grass roots level. For example, we are funding a network of human rights defenders who are working for Freedom of Religion or Belief in South Asia. In Syria and Iraq, where Christians and people of other religions have suffered such appalling persecution and violence at the hands of Daesh, our main contribution to ending the persecution of religious minorities is our support for the international effort to defeat Daesh and return the region to stability and peace.

Israeli Settlements: UN Resolutions

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government will retain its commitment to the UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) (a) during negotiations on the UK leaving the EU and (b) after the UK has left the EU.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: It has long been our position that Israeli settlement activity is illegal and undermines the viability of two states for two peoples, but it is far from the only obstacle to peace. UN Security Council Resolution 2334 addresses settlements while also calling for an end to incitement and terrorism. Both during negotiations for exiting the EU, and following our departure, we will continue to strongly support the implementation of Resolution 2334. The Secretary-General reports to the Council every three months on the implementation of its provisions.

Pakistan: Blasphemy and Religious Freedom

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan on the protection of religious minorities and the charge of blasphemy.

Alok Sharma: We are concerned about continuing reports of abuses against religious minorities in Pakistan. The Government strongly condemns the persecution of all minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their religion or beliefs. Our concerns are reflected in the latest update to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office annual human rights report.We regularly raise our concerns about the protection of minority communities, including religious minorities, and misuse of the blasphemy laws with the Pakistani Government at a senior level. During my visit to Pakistan in January, I raised our concerns about religious minorities with Kamran Michael, Pakistani Minister for Human Rights, and Barrister Zafarullah Khan, the Prime Minister's Special Assistant for Human Rights. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) discussed the misuse of the blasphemy laws and the importance we attach to safeguarding the rights of all Pakistan's citizens during his visit to Pakistan in November 2016.

Pakistan: Capital Punishment

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Government of Pakistan on the use of the death penalty in that country.

Alok Sharma: The UK remains firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. Abolitionist work is high on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) agenda and is part of the day-to-day work of all diplomatic missions to countries that retain the death penalty. The FCO Human Rights and Democracy Report 2015 makes clear our views on the death penalty and the resumption of executions in Pakistan.We have repeatedly called upon the Government of Pakistan to end capital punishment and, at a minimum, commit to publicly renewing the previously imposed moratorium on the death penalty. During my visit to Pakistan in January, I raised Pakistan's use of the death penalty with Kamran Michael, Pakistani Minister for Human Rights, and Barrister Zafarullah Khan, the Prime Minister's Special Assistant for Human Rights. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) discussed our human rights concerns and the importance we attach to upholding the rule of law during his visit to Pakistan in November 2016.

USA: Capital Punishment

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the US Administration on the use of the death penalty in that country.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Government regularly makes its views on the death penalty known to the US authorities. Our network of posts lobbies actively at state level because responsibility for the death penalty rests with State Governments. We also raise our concerns over executions, doing so most recently in Arkansas.

Belarus: Capital Punishment

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Government of Belarus on the use of the death penalty in that country.

Sir Alan Duncan: We use every opportunity to call on Belarus to establish an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty, as a first step towards abolition. A landmark conference on the abolition of the death penalty, funded by the UK and organised by the Council of Europe in co-operation with the Belarus Ministry of Foreign Affairs, took place in Minsk on 13 December 2016. FCO officials also reinforced our message to the Chairman of the Death Penalty Working Group of the Parliament of Belarus when he visited the UK on 20-21 March 2017. Most recently I raised it with the Belarusian Ambassador during our meeting on 2 February.

Israel: Bedouin

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the planned demolition of the village of Khan Al-Ahmar in the East 1 planning zone.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The British Government is gravely concerned about continued demolition of Palestinian property by the Israeli authorities including proposals to demolish the Bedouin village of Khan al Ahmar. An official from our Embassy to Tel Aviv discused this issue with the Israeli authorities on 4 April. The Foreign Secretary expressed our concern about the proposals to demolish Khan al-Ahmar when he met Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel on 8 March. I also raised it with the Israeli Ambassador to London on 1 March. On 28 February our Deputy Consul-General to Jerusalem visited Khan al Ahmar along with EU Heads of Mission, and our Ambassador to Tel Aviv raised our concerns over the proposed demolition with the Israeli authorities.

Department for International Development

Yemen: Overseas Aid

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many Yemeni local and national non-governmental organisations received humanitarian aid from her Department in each of the last five years; and what proportion of her Department's overall aid for Yemen that represented in each of those years.

Rory Stewart: DFID has provided £85.5 million to the Yemen Humanitarian Pooled Fund (YHPF) over the last five years from the total DFID bilateral funding listed in the table below. In 2016, the YHPF provided £94.5 million of support to 7.8 million people, including food security, water and sanitation and health interventions. Approximately £13 million of this funding was delivered by local and national NGOs.In addition, in 2017/18 we will provide £24 million to our Multi-Sector Humanitarian Response programme, approximately £1.5m of which will directly support local and national NGOs.Financial YearDFID bilateral programme outturn (in £s)2015/1689.6 million2014/1565.9 million2013/1481.4 million2012/1359.1 million

Afghanistan: Education

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the (a) number of children of school age in Afghanistan, (b) proportion of such children who were not in education and (c) proportion of those not in education who were girls in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2017.

Rory Stewart: In 2017, official figures show that UK support has helped more than 6.4m children attend school in Afghanistan, 38% of whom are girls. This is up from around 4 million children in 2009/2010, over a third of whom were girls. Figures on the number of children out of school are hard to verify, but the UN estimates the figures to be between 6-7 million over the past few years. A breakdown by gender is not available.

Overseas Aid

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which five countries have been the greatest recipients of UK foreign aid in each of the last three years.

Rory Stewart: The five largest recipients of UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) spent by either DFID or other government departments is given in the Table below: Table: Top 5 country recipients of UK bilateral ODA, 2013-20152013 2014 2015   Country£mCountry£ mCountry£ m  ....Pakistan338Ethiopia322Pakistan374Ethiopia329India279Ethiopia339Bangladesh272Pakistan266Afghanistan300India268Sierra Leone238Nigeria263Nigeria249Nigeria237Syria258  Source: Statistics on International Development 2016

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has allocated in aid to Afghanistan in each of the last three years; and on what that funding has been spent.

Rory Stewart: For the last three years (2014/15, 2015/16, and 2016/17) DFID’s bilateral allocation in Afghanistan was £178m per year, in line with the then UK Prime Minister’s pledge at the Tokyo Conference in 2012. This has been invested in economic development, meeting humanitarian needs, building the capacity of the Afghan Government, and delivering services such as health and education.

South Sudan: Overseas Aid

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many South Sudanese local and national non-governmental organisations received humanitarian aid from her Department; and what proportion of her Department's overall aid for South Sudan that represented in each of the last five years.

James Wharton: DFID has provided over £70 million to the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SSHF) over the last 3 years from the total DFID bilateral funding listed in the table below. In 2016, the SSHF provided over £70 million to reach over 1.2m people with WASH, nutrition, health, and other lifesaving activities. Approximately £8 million of this funding was delivered through local and national NGOs.In addition to our bilateral funding, targeted support is being provided through DFID’s centrally managed Disaster Emergency Preparedness Programme to deliver 3 projects supporting national and local NGOs in South Sudan to engage more effectively in humanitarian preparedness and response. Financial YearDFID bilateral programme outturn (in £s)2015/16188.184m2014/15158.013m2013/14139.647m2012/13108.516m Figures for financial year 2016/17 will be published in the DFID Annual Report and accounts due for publication in Summer 2017.

Montserrat: Economic Situation

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the long-term economic prospects for Montserrat.

James Wharton: DFID’s first responsibility is to support Montserrat in delivering essential public services to its citizens, including health, education and social services. Ongoing consideration of the island’s long term economic prospects is a key feature of our development partnership, where we have a shared objective of enabling Montserrat ultimately to manage fully its own financial and economic affairs.

Syria: Overseas Aid

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government plans to use drones to drop emergency aid in Syria; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: Aid delivered by road, by trusted humanitarian partners who ensure it gets to those who need it most, is the most effective way to meet needs in Syria. We are pushing the Assad regime to allow this, while working tirelessly with our partners to examine all other options for getting aid into besieged areas.

Overseas Aid: Food

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to build capacity in countries facing a food crisis.

James Wharton: DFID invests in long-term planning, preventative programmes and putting systems in place to build the capacity of countries at risk of food insecurity. Early warning mechanisms and resilience systems put in place with DFID support since 2010/11 have strengthened the response to the food crisis across the Horn of Africa this year. For example, with DFID support the response in Somalia has mobilised much earlier this year compared to 2010; in Kenya the Hunger Safety Nets Programme has enabled emergency support to be delivered at scale to drought affected households much quicker than in previous crises.

Department for Education

Overseas Students: Visas

Dr Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she  has had with the Home Secretary on reintroduction of the post-study work visa.

Joseph Johnson: The Department engages regularly with the Home Office on matters of student migration. Overseas students can remain in the UK to work following their studies by switching to several existing visa routes, including Tier 2 (skilled worker) visas. The Government closed the dedicated Post Study Work visa route in 2012 on the grounds that it was open to immigration abuse (including low-skilled work and fraudulent applications).

Schools: Finance

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much additional funding her Department would require in order to ensure that no school saw a cut in its budget for 2017-18 as part of the Schools National Funding Formula.

Nick Gibb: In December 2016 the Department confirmed dedicated schools grant (DSG) funding settlements for 2017-18 to local authorities. For all local authorities, funding has been protected in cash terms per pupil. Further details are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2017-to-2018.In 2017-18, individual schools’ funding is decided at a local authority level. The Department allocates funding to each local authority, who then allocate this funding to their schools using their local formulae. The Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) ensures that the maximum any individual school can lose is 1.5% per pupil. Local authorities are now finalising and will shortly be confirming their 2017-18 funding to schools. Further information is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/school-revenue-funding-settlement-for-2017-to-2018. We are currently consulting on our proposals for a National Funding Formula, which will come into force in 2018-19. The consultation will run until March 22nd and is available at https://consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/schools-national-funding-formula2/.

Students: Loans

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Written Statement of 6 February 2017, HCWS458, on the sale of part of the English student loan book, how many graduates will have their student loans sold; what the face value of the remaining loans in that part of the English student loan book is; and what the fair market value of the remaining loans in that part of the English student loan book is.

Joseph Johnson: The Government has started the process required to sell part of the English student loan book. The sale covers loans issued under the previous (“pre-2012”) system, specifically those which entered repayment between 2002 and 2006. A loan enters repayment the April after the student has left their course. Loans held by around 450,000 borrowers are in scope of the sale. The position of these graduates will not be affected as a result of the sale. The total face value of the pre-2012 loan book is around £46bn (2014-15 figures). The face value of the outstanding balances of the loans in the scope of the first sale totalled around £4 billion (at end of Financial Year 2014-15). The retention value to Government is lower and is calculated using standard Treasury Green Book methodology developed for asset sales, and also accounts for Government subsidy of the student loan system. The loans which are being sold have already been in repayment for over ten years, and therefore much of the original value of the loans has already been paid back to Government. The retention value to Government is lower and is calculated using standard Treasury Green Book methodology developed for asset sales, and also accounts for Government subsidy of the student loan system. The loans which are being sold have already been in repayment for over ten years, and therefore much of the original value of the loans has already been paid back to Government. Estimates of the fair market value are not something the Government can discuss if we are to preserve a competitive commercial process which delivers value for money for taxpayers.

Students: Loans

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Written Statement of 6 February 2017, HCWS458, what assessment she has made of whether the sale of part of the English student loan book will deliver value for money; and if she will publish the framework used to make that assessment.

Joseph Johnson: The decision to start the sale process for part of the student loan book (set out in Written Statement HCWS458) is based on a robust and comprehensive assessment of the market which showed that it has a good prospect of achieving value for money.As part of assessing value for money, the Government compares the value of keeping the student loan book and receiving uncertain and fluctuating repayments over time, and selling the rights to the remaining future repayments made on the student loan book and receiving a fixed sum of money for them now.The sale process itself is also designed to achieve the best possible price for the taxpayer.A further assessment will be made before the sale is completed (and before any further sales).As required by the Sale of Student Loans Act 2008, the Government will provide a report to Parliament on the sale arrangements within three months of sale completion. As required by the Act, this report will make reference to value for money.

Students: Loans

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Written Statement of 6 February 2017, HCWS458, what criteria will be used to assess the suitability of the buyer of the part of the English student loan book that the Government plans to sell.

Joseph Johnson: Pursuant to Written Statement HCWS458, the proposed sale will comprise the future repayments on the outstanding balances on a selection of English student loans which became eligible for repayment between 2002 and 2006. A loan enters repayment the April after the student has left their course.A securitisation structure will be used for the sale to enable the Government to maximise value for money for the taxpayer. Under this structure, the loans will be sold to a new independent English-domiciled company - the Issuer - whose sole purpose is to own the loans on behalf of investors. Investors will purchase notes issued by the Issuer and the Issuer will make payments on the notes using the repayments made on the underlying loans.The sale is a competitive process open to all eligible investors. The different tranches of notes are expected to be attractive to a range of potential investors, thereby promoting an efficient market and efficient pricing. We anticipate insurers, pension funds and alternative asset managers, among others, will be interested.Investors would have no right to change any of the current loan arrangements or to contact people with student loans.

Schools: South Cambridgeshire

Heidi Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to close the deprivation attainment gap in South Cambridgeshire constituency.

Edward Timpson: We are committed to making this a country where everyone has a fair chance to go as far as his or her talent and hard work will allow. The pupil premium provides schools with significant additional funding - £2.5bn this year alone – to raise the achievement of their disadvantaged pupils and so close the attainment gap. Our guarantee to maintain current per-pupil funding levels for the rest of this Parliament will ensure schools continue to have the support they need to improve disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes.This year, disadvantaged pupils in South Cambridgeshire will benefit from £2.6 million in pupil premium funding.

Students: Loans

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the value to the public purse of the sale of the student loans book.

Joseph Johnson: The decision to start the sale process for part of the student loan book (set out in Written Statement HCWS458) is based on a robust and comprehensive assessment of the market which showed that it has a good prospect of achieving value for money.As part of assessing value for money, the Government compares the value of keeping the student loan book and receiving uncertain and fluctuating repayments over time, and selling the rights to the remaining future repayments made on the student loan book and receiving a fixed sum of money for them now.The sale process itself is also designed to achieve the best possible price for the taxpayer.A further assessment will be made before the sale is completed (and before any further sales).As required by the Sale of Student Loans Act 2008, the Government will provide a report to Parliament on the sale arrangements within three months of sale completion. As required by the Act this report will make reference to value for money.

Universities: Overseas Students

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for universities of the Universities UK report, entitled The economic impact of international students, published in March 2017.

Joseph Johnson: The Government values the contribution that international students make to higher education, research, and the UK, both economically and culturally. That is why we have no plans to introduce a cap on the number of genuine international students who can come here to study, or to limit the numbers that individual higher education institutions can recruit. The reforms the Government is introducing through the Higher Education and Research Bill recognise the importance of the sector to the economy and will help to ensure that it continues to be one of the most sought after places for global talent to study.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students attending (a) comprehensive and (b) grammar schools in England are within each decile of the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much (a) revenue and (b) capital funding was provided to each pupil in state (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in each region and local authority in (A) cash terms and (B) 2014 prices in each year since 2005-06.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

ERASMUS

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has made to her EU counterparts on the UK continuing to participate in the Erasmus programme after the UK leaves the EU.

Joseph Johnson: The Department recognises the value of international exchange and collaboration in education, as part of our vision for the UK as a global nation. There may be European programmes in which we might want to participate. We will consider this as part of the negotiation.

Teachers: Recruitment

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on the Get into Teaching campaign in each year since its inception.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Apprentices: Taxation

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate has been made of the total cost to all schools of the apprenticeship levy since the introduction of that policy.

Robert Halfon: The amount that will be charged to community and voluntary controlled maintained schools’ budgets in respect of the apprenticeship levy will depend on the extent to which local authorities pass the cost through to schools where they employ the staff. The cost of this to schools will depend on the extent to which they make use of their contributions for training apprentices. The apprenticeship levy will support schools to train up and develop new and existing staff as apprentices, an integral part of this government’s wider plans to improve productivity and provide opportunities for people of all backgrounds and all ages to enter the workplace. Existing members of staff can be designated as apprentices: they do not have to be newly employed. We will be working to create new apprenticeship opportunities for schools, so that they can make optimal use of the levy. We are also working with local authorities (LAs) to ensure schools, where the LA is the employer, get easy access to the LA’s levy pot.We have published a guide for schools on how the levy will apply to them, and how schools can make use of it. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/598603/Schools__guide_to_apprenticeship_reforms.pdf

Higher Education: Admissions

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of the reduction in the student opportunity allocation announced by the Higher Education Funding Council for England on 15 March 2017 on the Government's target for widening participation in higher education.

Joseph Johnson: Following the reforms to the funding system in 2012, real progress continues to be made in widening participation in higher education. The proportion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds going into higher education has risen from 13.6% in 2009 to 19.5% in 2016.As a result of the funding changes and the increased income available to universities, with universities forecasting income growth of £2.3bn by 2020 from their planned expansion of student places, there is an expectation that HE providers should take more responsibility for widening participation.Through access agreements universities expect to spend £833.5 million in 2017/18 on measures to improve access and success for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is up significantly from £404 million in 2009.Subject to the passage of the Higher Education and Research Bill we are further strengthening our approach to widening participation by: o Establishing the Office for Students (OfS), which will have a statutory duty to consider the promotion of equality of opportunity in relation to access and participation.o Introducing a Transparency Duty requiring providers to publish application, offer, drop-out and attainment rates of students broken down by ethnicity, gender and socio-economic background.o Ensuring that activities aimed at student retention success and progression in are included in within Access and Participation Agreements.o Enabling the provision of alternative student finance consistent with the principles of Islamic finance.

Pupils: Attendance

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many school attendance orders have been issued in England since 2000.

Edward Timpson: The Department does not collect data on school attendance orders.

Students: Loans

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many graduates in each parliamentary constituency will be affected by the decision to freeze the student loan repayment threshold in each year from 2016.

Joseph Johnson: The information requested is not available. The Student Loans Company does not publish nor forecast the number of student loan borrowers by parliamentary constituency.

Schools: Garsten and Halewood

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in Garston and Halewood constituency receive subsidised milk under the European School Milk Scheme.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to replace the funding of subsidised milk provided under the European School Milk Scheme after the UK leaves the EU.

Edward Timpson: Information by Westminster Constituency or English region on the number of children aged over five receiving subsidised milk under the scheme is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. With regard to the longer-term approach to school milk provision, I refer the hon. Member to the government’s answer to parliamentary question 60828 on 25 January 2017.

Schools: Milk

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that all schools comply with the milk requirements of the standards for school food in England, published on 9 September 2016.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2017 to Question HL5031, how many schools in Garston and Halewood constituency are compliant with the milk requirements of the School Food Standards for England, published in September 2016.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timescale is for the review of the School Food Standards.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2017 to Question 64266, whether the reduced dairy requirements of the revised Eatwell Guide will be considered with regard to the milk requirements of the School Food Standards when they are reviewed later this year.

Edward Timpson: This government wants pupils to be healthy. It promotes the consumption of dairy products as part of a balanced diet through guidance, funding and legislation. The School Food Standards (where they apply) provide the legislative framework to ensure schools provide children with healthy food and drink options. This includes a requirement to make milk available at least once during the school day. The majority of schools are subject to the School Food Standards. However, some academies and free schools are not. As part of our work on the childhood obesity plan, we will be encouraging all schools to commit to the standards. The Department does not hold information on how many schools in Garston and Halewood constituency comply with the milk requirements of the School Food Standards. As indicated in ‘Childhood Obesity: a plan for action’, we will update the School Food Standards in light of refreshed government dietary recommendations. We plan to make further information on this work available later in the year. As stated in my answer to parliamentary question 64266, the revised Eatwell guide is distributed to schools to use alongside the school food standards and continues to define the government’s recommendations on a healthy balanced diet.

Universities: Mental Health Services

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what standards her Department sets for university counselling services.

Joseph Johnson: Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies, independent from the Government. They have legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support students, including those with mental health conditions. It is for institutions to determine what welfare and counselling services they need to provide to their students to offer that support and each institution is best placed to identify the needs of their particular student body and develop the services needed to support it. There is already a great deal of guidance and support available to institutions, and many offer advice and counselling services and adopt local systems to help identify students who may be finding it hard to cope, using information such as course attendance and referral systems from personal tutors or lecturers. In our latest guidance to the Director for Access (DfA) (February 2016) we asked for more to be to done through access agreements, to support students with mental health issues. It is however a matter for each institution to agree with the DfA the targets which are important for that institution and indeed the support services they provide. The Department is engaging with Universities UK on its ‘Mental Health in Higher Education’ sector led programme on the provision of mental health and wellbeing services. www.universities.ac.uk On 9 January 2017, the Prime Minister announced a package of measures to transform mental health support in our schools, workplaces and communities. This included a commitment for a Green Paper on children and young people’s mental health to set out plans to transform services, including within universities. www.gov.uk

Apprentices: Taxation

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with the devolved administrations on the operation of the apprenticeship levy in each of those regions.

Robert Halfon: Officials from my Department are in regular discussions with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to consider the implications of the apprenticeship levy on their own apprenticeship programmes and for cross-border employers. As skills policy is devolved it is for the devolved administrations to decide how they will fund apprenticeships in their nations. The UK government has agreed funding with the devolved administrations, and this was announced in November 2016: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-agrees-apprenticeship-levy-funding-deal-with-devolved-administrations.

Schools: Finance

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding was available to schools in England in each year since May 2010.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Class Sizes: Bristol

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average class size is in primary schools in Bristol; and how many primary school classes in Bristol have more than 30 pupils.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Mathematics: Education

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the commitment made in Budget 2016 that Professor Sir Adrian Smith's review of the study of mathematics from 16 to 18 would report during 2016, for what reason publication of that review has been delayed.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish Sir Adrian Smith's review of the feasibility of compulsory mathematics study for all pupils up to 18-years of age.

Nick Gibb: Professor Sir Adrian Smith, Vice Chancellor of the University of London and Deputy Chair of the UK Statistical Authority is currently reviewing the case for increasing the number of young people studying mathematics post 16. The focus of the review is on how to improve post-16 mathematics education to ensure the future workforce is competitive and has appropriate mathematics and quantitative skills.While the publication date had originally been scheduled for 2016, we are allowing additional time to finalise the report. We intend to publish the review shortly.

Class Sizes: Southampton

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the pupil to teacher ratio is, including teaching assistants, is in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Southampton.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Pupils: Newham

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much (a) revenue and (b) capital funding was provided per pupil in state (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in the London Borough of Newham in real terms in each of the last 10 financial years.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Class Sizes

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the pupil to teacher ratio, including teaching assistants, is in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in England.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Children: Day Care

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of families in Southampton, Itchen constituency make use of the 15-hours a week of free childcare for three and four-year olds.

Caroline Dinenage: The numbers of three- and four-year-olds accessing funded early years education, by local authority, is available on the Department’s website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/education-provision-children-under-5-years-of-age-january-2016

Special Educational Needs: Southampton Itchen

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of pupils in Southampton, Itchen constituency are in receipt of high needs block education funding.

Edward Timpson: The requested information is not collected centrally.High needs funding supports provision for pupils and students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) from their early years to 25. Local authorities should use their high needs budget to provide the most appropriate support package for an individual with SEN in a range of settings. It is also intended to support good quality alternative provision for pupils who cannot receive their education in schools for medical or other reasons.Local authorities also use their high needs budget to pay for central services relating to SEND and alternative provision, as permitted by The School and Early Years Finance (England) Regulations 2017.The number of pupils for whom schools receive high needs funding from their local authority has been published as part of the import/export adjustment in the illustrative high needs allocations from the second stage consultation on high needs funding reform.The number of children with statements of SEN and education, health and care (EHC) plans in each local authority area has been published as national statistics.Information from the schools census on pupils with SEN and SEN provision in schools has been published in Statistical First Release: Special Educational Needs in England. This includes underlying data at individual school level.

Johnson Kane

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what background checks were carried out on Johnson Kane, the co-founder and chief executive officer of the Education Fellowship Trust, in advance of schools being transferred to that multi-academy trust.

Edward Timpson: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Pupil Numbers

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the difference is between the number of pupils currently studying in England and the number forecasted in 2015.

Nick Gibb: The Department publishes both pupil level projections and, separately, data on the numbers in school on an annual basis. The most recent figures on the numbers in school are from January 2016 school census and can be found in the statistical first release available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2016.The 2015 projection of the 2016 school population (published at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-pupil-projections-trends-in-pupil-numbers-july-2015), and the equivalent school census figures, are given in the table below. Projected and actual school population, January 2016, EnglandFull-time equivalent figures up to and including age 15  All schools1State funded schools22016 census7,8427,3652015 projection for 20167,8377,362 thousands1 State funded nursery, primary, secondary, special and alternative provisions schools, plus independent and non-maintained special schools2 As 1 but omitting independent and non-maintained special schools

Schools: Admissions

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress the Government has made in strengthening the (a) rights of parents of summer born-children to defer the year of their child's entry to school and (b) right for a child to remain in the same academic year irrespective of changes in school or local authority; and when the Government plans to consult on proposed changes to the Admissions Code.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Schools: Finance

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of proposed reductions to school budgets set out in the new Schools National Funding Formula on children's attainment relating to reading ages.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Schools: Finance

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of proposed reductions to school budgets set out in the new Schools National Funding Formula on children's attainment in national curriculum tests and assessments.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Schools: Radicalism

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps the Government has taken to tackle extremism in schools.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government continues to work with the education sector, community organisations and operational partners to safeguard our young people from extremism and radicalisation. The Department for Education has issued practical guidance for schools and childcare providers to help them understand how to implement the Prevent duty, which requires them to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. In September 2016, the Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory guidance was updated to cover online safety, including the requirement for schools and colleges to ensure appropriate monitoring systems are in place. We are also ensuring that schools are equipped to build children’s resilience against extremist ideology and prepare them for life in a modern, diverse Britain. Since 2011, more than 550,000 people, including teachers, have been trained to recognise the signs of radicalisation and to know what steps to take. New advice and resources continue to be uploaded to our Educate Against Hate website, which aims to help parents, teachers and school leaders protect young people from extremism and radicalisation. The Department has established the counter-extremism helpline; anyone who has concerns relating to extremism affecting young people or the education sector can contact the helpline. We have also worked with Ofsted to strengthen their inspection frameworks so that inspectors are required to assess how well schools protect pupils from the risks of extremism and radicalisation, and promote fundamental British values (democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs).

Education: Trade Unions

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what groups or working parties which her Department hosts or provides secretarial support to are routinely attended by representatives of education trade unions.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Schools: Finance

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools her Department consulted on the planned changes to school budgets set out in the new National Funding Formula.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Further Education: Expenditure

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2017 to Question 71090, on Department for Education, how much spending was forecast on 16 to 19 education following the autumn statement 2016; and how much was subsequently allocated to institutions.

Robert Halfon: Following the 2016 Autumn Statement, the department’s budget for spending on 16-19 education in 2017-18 is £5.4bn. Funding allocations for institutions will be published in the autumn.

Department for Education: Pay

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the total payroll cost of her Department's Extended Ministerial Office was; and how many civil servants worked in that office during its existence.

Caroline Dinenage: The Secretary of State’s Extended Ministerial Office has a payroll cost of £732,968.45 (including National Insurance and pension contributions) from July 2015 to March 2017.A total of 9 civil servants have worked in the Extended Ministerial Office during its existence, with no more than 7 in post at any one time.

Johnson Kane

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on Johnson Kane.

Edward Timpson: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Schools: Finance

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of planned changes to school budgets set out in the new National Funding Formula on the level of attainment in internal and external assessments of children who qualify for free school meals.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Free School Meals

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils are in receipt of free school meals in (a) England, (b) the South East and (c) Southampton.

Edward Timpson: Data for the number of pupils eligible for free school meals in England, by local authority and region, are available in the annual ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistical release[1].The most recent figures, from January 2016, are published at:www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2016 [1] FSM figures for England, the South East and Southampton are found in Local and Regional Table 8a.

Schools: Finance

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many representations her Department has had from head teachers (a) in favour of and (b) against the changes in funding for school budgets in the new National Funding Formula.

Nick Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Further Education: Finance

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of her Department's budget for 16 to 19 education was underspent in each of the last three years.

Robert Halfon: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Further Education: Finance

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit budget for 16 to 19 education, excluding apprenticeships, was reallocated to other budgets in each of the last three years.

Robert Halfon: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Further Education: Finance

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit budget was for 16 to 19 education, excluding apprenticeships, in each of the last three years.

Robert Halfon: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before prorogation.”

Ada, National College for Digital Skills

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much the Government has spent on the National College of Digital Skills, Ada; and how much it plans to spend on Ada in each of the next three years.

Robert Halfon: Government is providing £13.4m of capital grant funding to the National College for Digital Skills (Ada). Details of spend and forecast spend is set out in the table below. The Greater London Authority are also providing £18.2m of funding for the capital project and the college will receive contributions from employers in the sector.Grant allocation15/16 (spend)16/17 (spend)*17/1818/1919/2013,404,828285,6435,256,85606,937,600297,973 *to February 2017

Truancy

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many unauthorised absences from schools were recorded in (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey, (c) the South East and (d) England in each of the last three years.

Edward Timpson: Statistics on unauthorised absence are published in “Pupil absence in schools in England: 2015 to 2016”, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england-2015-to-2016The underlying data within this release includes local authority, regional and national information for the years requested. Constituency level information is not available.

Apprentices

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the proportion of employers who offer apprenticeships to 16 to 19-year olds in (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey, (c) the South East and (d) England.

Robert Halfon: We do not directly collect information that measures the proportion of employers who offer apprenticeships.For information on apprenticeship starts by constituency, region, and England by age group, please see the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/601883/apprenticeships-geography-data-tool-starts-v1.xlsm.The Department has also released research looking at the incidence of apprenticeships by industry sector and size, including breakdowns by local authority district and regional levels. Please see the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeships-in-england-by-industry-sector.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Secondment

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff in her Department have been seconded from (i) businesses and (ii) charities.

Matt Hancock: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Parliament is dissolved.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Management Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2017 to Question 65680, on procurement, how much of the procurement spending in each of those years related to the services of management consultants.

Matt Hancock: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Parliament is dissolved.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Conditions of Employment

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of staff employed by her Department are employed on a contract which is (a) full-time permanent, (b) part-time permanent, (c) for less than two years' duration, (d) on an agency basis and (e) zero-hours.

Matt Hancock: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Parliament is dissolved.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2017 to Question 64995, on procurement, what estimate she has made of the total budget for managing procurement in each year since 2010.

Matt Hancock: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Parliament is dissolved.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Secondment

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff are seconded to her Department; and how many such staff are seconded from which companies and organisations.

Matt Hancock: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Parliament is dissolved.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to provide superfast broadband in (a) rural communities and (b) Gordon constituency.

Matt Hancock: As a result of the government's Superfast Broadband Programme and roll-out by the private sector, superfast broadband with speeds of more than 24Mbps is now available to more than 92% of homes and businesses in the UK and the government expects this to reach 95% by the end of 2017. This coverage includes rural areas. The delivery programme in Scotland including the Gordon constituency is delivered by the Scottish Government.Thinkbroadband estimate that current coverage of superfast broadband in the Gordon constituency is 79%, which DCMS estimate will rise to 83% by the end of 2017. This compares to a UK average of over 92%. The Scottish Government is responsible for delivering broadband in Scotland.Take up in the Rest of Scotland Project area is 28% and as a result of the UK Government's contract management, further funding can be returned to the Scottish Government for reinvestment in more superfast coverage as take-up rises. It would be for the Scottish Government to decide where funding returned by suppliers under the contracts is allocated to increase coverage.

Television: Licensing

Johnny Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of ceasing the requirement for those serving in the military to hold a television licence at both their home and base addresses.

Matt Hancock: No such assessment has been made. The legal requirements around the television licence are set out in the Communications Act 2003 and the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004/692. Further details can be found via http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/

LIFE

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons £250 million was provided from the Tampon Tax Fund for the Life charity; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Rob Wilson: Life Charity submitted a project proposal to support vulnerable women in west London, requesting £250,000. Life Charity’s bid described a project that would help vulnerable, homeless or at risk women (for example, those escaping abuse or trafficking) who are pregnant and have nowhere to turn.We will shortly agree the specifics of each of the 70 projects that successfully applied to the Tampon Tax Fund this year, to ensure that taxpayers' money is put to the best use. We will only make grants where we are 100% certain that they align with the aims of the fund.

LIFE

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2017 to Question HL6582, whether the Minister for Civil Society or another Minister made the decision to award the charity Life £250,000 from the Tampon Tax Fund; what her Department's scrutiny process for that decision was; and what representations she received on the appropriateness of that award before that decision was announced.

Mr Rob Wilson: We will shortly finalise the specifics of the grant agreements for each of the 70 projects that successfully applied to the Tampon Tax Fund this year, to ensure that taxpayers' money is put to the best use. We will only make grants where we are 100% certain that they align fully with the aims of the fund. The final decision will be made by the Minister for Civil Society. All applications into the fund were assessed by officials against three criteria: evidence for the need of the project: the organisation’s ability to deliver; and the sustainability/impact of the project, and were then vetted by officials before they were signed off.

Sportsgrounds: Disability

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many stadiums in the UK had disabled access in (a) 2010 and (b) 2016.

Tracey Crouch: We do not hold this information. The Equality Act 2010 – which applies to England and Wales - requires that ‘reasonable adjustments’ are made by service providers, which include the owners of sports stadia, to make premises accessible for disabled people. It is for individual clubs to determine what adjustments are ‘reasonable’ taking into account their own circumstances. Structural changes are not always necessary to make sports grounds accessible to spectators with disabilities. Clubs and stadia owners can also change policies and procedures to make their grounds more accessible for disabled spectators.

Nuisance Calls: Complaints

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many complaints concerning nuisance calls have been reported to the Information Commissioner's Office in each of the last seven years.

Matt Hancock: The table below displays the number of complaints about nuisance calls and text messages received by the ICO since 2010:  Financial YearLive callsAutomated callsSMS spamTotal2010/111706174561840692011/1216853680306884512012/133166282803410361555012013/145626974024301391604322014/157508280188236801789502015/167025271425178691595462016/17656918201118397166099

Nuisance Calls

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to reduce the number of nuisance calls.

Matt Hancock: We have taken a number of steps to reduce the number of unsolicited direct marketing calls and allow members of the public to identify nuisance callers. They include: Amending the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations to require all direct marketing callers to provide Caller Line Identification, allowing people to identify direct marketing calls and choose whether to accept them or not.Funding the National Trading Standards Scams Team to provide call blocking devices to vulnerable people in all parts of the UK; andEncouraging high-tech firms to develop innovative and affordable solutions to tackle nuisance calls.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Livestock Industry: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the proportion of UK greenhouse gas emissions that come from livestock production (a) directly and (b) taking into account emissions from livestock feed from (i) inside and (ii) outside the UK; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 26 April 2017.The correct answer should have been:

The UK national inventory of greenhouse gases (GHG) reports emissions of 49.2 million tonnes from agriculture in 2014, the most recent year for which data is available. This represents around 9% of total UK GHG emissions. Of these, around 63% come from livestock and their manures. Imported feeds such as soya meal can have significant environmental impacts. Defra has conducted research on home grown alternatives to imported feeds and continues to work with industry to reduce these impacts. Industry is making progress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production. For example, the British pig industry reduced emissions by 26% in the period 2018  2008 to 2012, mainly due to a 50% reduction in the use of soya in pig feeds.

George Eustice: The UK national inventory of greenhouse gases (GHG) reports emissions of 49.2 million tonnes from agriculture in 2014, the most recent year for which data is available. This represents around 9% of total UK GHG emissions. Of these, around 63% come from livestock and their manures. Imported feeds such as soya meal can have significant environmental impacts. Defra has conducted research on home grown alternatives to imported feeds and continues to work with industry to reduce these impacts. Industry is making progress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production. For example, the British pig industry reduced emissions by 26% in the period 2018  2008 to 2012, mainly due to a 50% reduction in the use of soya in pig feeds.

Dogs: Sales

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will take steps to ensure that puppies are not sold without their mothers being present.

George Eustice: The Government set out its position on this and other recommendations in its response, which was published in February, to the review by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, entitled Animal Welfare in England: Domestic Pets.

Recycling: Publicity

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve people's knowledge of the merits of recycling.

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to spread best practice on recycling.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra works with local authorities and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to provide advice and promote best practice among local authorities on waste and recycling. Local councils, and householders have played a key role in increasing the UK’s recycling rate from 11% at the turn of the century to 44% in 2015/16. Greater consistency in local authority recycling – taking account of best practice – in particular has potential to increase recycling rates further. WRAP are working with an Advisory Group of waste stakeholders, to look at the benefits and opportunities from having greater consistency in the materials collected and collection systems to enable local authorities to recycle more, and to make it easier for householders to put the right materials in the right bin. Recycle Now, launched in 2004, is the national recycling campaign for England. It is supported and funded by Defra and managed by WRAP. It is used locally by over 90% of Local Authorities in England and includes information to inform people about the many items that can be recycled around the home.

Neonicotinoids

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2017 to Question 71069, how many emergency authorisation applications for the use of neonicotinoid pesticides the Government has approved in the last (a) 12 and (b) 24 months.

George Eustice: Three neonicotinoids are currently subject to restrictions which normally prohibit their use on a number of crops. Two emergency authorisations have been granted for the use of these restricted neonicotinoids. Those authorisations, issued in July 2015, allowed limited and controlled use on oilseed rape until November 2015. In total, eight applications for use of the same neonicotinoids have been turned down between 2015 and 2017. All decisions are made on the basis of advice from the independent UK Expert Committee on Pesticides.

Curlews: Conservation

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) protect and retain habitats for the curlew and (b) further assist in fox and crow control to maintain curlew numbers.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Agriculture: Glyphosate

Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that glyphosate continues to be available for use by farmers after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: Glyphosate is important to British farming and there would be real difficulties if it were no longer available. UK and EU experts have identified no safety concerns which would preclude the continuing use of glyphosate. Defra considers that decisions on the use of pesticides should be based on a careful scientific assessment of the risks, with the aim of achieving a high level of protection for people and the environment.

Dogs: Sales

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the International Fund for Animal Welfare's proposals of February 2017 to (a) ban sales of puppies through third party intermediaries, (b) ensure all dog purchases are traceable through a robust licensing system and (c) place greater legal restrictions on online puppy sales.

George Eustice: The Government set out its position on these and other recommendations in its response, which was published in February, to the review by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, entitled Animal Welfare in England: Domestic Pets.

Dangerous Dogs

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many defendants received the maximum permissible sentence under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each of the last five years.

George Eustice: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Dangerous Dogs

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many custodial sentences were given under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each of the last five years.

George Eustice: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Fly-tipping: Government Assistance

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what financial assistance the Government provides for land owners to clear their land after they have been the victims of fly tipping.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Fly-tipping: Fines

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2017 to Question 70108, on fly-tipping, who receives the proceeds of fines for small-scale fly-tipping incidents.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Under the Unauthorised Deposit of Waste (Fixed Penalties) Regulations 2016, proceeds from Fixed Penalty Notices for small-scale fly-tipping are kept by the local authorities who issue the Notices.

Animal Welfare: Sentencing

Mrs Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her priority to extend the maximum sentence which the courts can impose for offences involving animal cruelty.

George Eustice: The maximum penalties for animal welfare offences are kept under review and Defra has been in regular discussion with the Ministry of Justice on appropriate sentencing levels. The Sentencing Council recently published revised magistrates’ court sentencing guidelines with the aim of ensuring that the most serious cases of animal cruelty receive appropriately severe penalties within the available maximum penalty.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Europol

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the (a) Prime Minister and (b) Home Secretary on the UK's participation in Europol after the UK has left the EU.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues on the UK's participation in Eurojust after the UK has left the EU.

Mr David Jones: The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on matters relating to the UK exiting the European Union. As the Prime Minister set out in her speech, one of the objectives for the negotiations ahead is to continue practical cooperation with the EU to tackle cross-border crime and to keep our people safe. We want to agree a deep and special partnership taking in both economic and security cooperation to fight terrorism and uphold justice across Europe. The safety of the British public is a top priority and security is enhanced through cooperating with Europe.As part of the negotiations, we will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue cooperation on a range of issues, including Europol and Eurojust.

Joint Ministerial Committee

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will consider the merits of including (a) the Mayor of London and (b) Members of the London Assembly at the next Joint Ministerial Committee meeting with the devolved administrations.

Mr David Jones: The Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations was set up so that the devolved administrations could contribute to the process of planning for our departure from the EU. JMC (EN) membership is limited to Ministers from those administrations, in line with wider JMC protocols. Though it is not a devolved administration, the Government is committed to engaging with the Greater London Authority. The engagement includes monthly meetings between the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union and the Mayor of London and regular contact between officials.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of staffing levels of his Department.

Mr David Jones: The Department undertakes regular resource reviews to ensure that we are appropriately resourced to deal with the task at hand. We will ensure we have the right skills to get the best deal for the UK. The Department is recruiting the brightest and the best from across the civil service, the wider public sector and the private sector. The Department for Exiting the European Union now has over 350 staff, and is growing fast.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Conditions of Employment

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many and what proportion of staff employed by his Department are employed on a contract which is (a) full-time permanent, (b) part-time permanent, (c) for less than two years' duration, (d) on an agency basis and (e) zero-hours.

Mr David Jones: Due to the time limited nature of the Department for Exiting the European Union staff are on loans from Other Government Departments or fixed term appointments. The Department does not employ anyone on a zero hours contact. The Department also employs a small number of agency staff to undertake fixed short term work.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Public Expenditure

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, why his Department has not published spend greater than £25,000 since July 2016; and when that information will be published.

Mr David Jones: The department expects to be in a position to publish payments over £25,000 shortly.

EU Institutions: Employment

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what estimate his Department has made of the number of job losses that will arise when the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority leave the UK.

Mr Robin Walker: In the negotiations, the Government will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue to cooperate in the field of medicines regulation in the best interests of both the UK and EU. It would not be appropriate to pre-judge the outcome of the negotiations.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Freedom of Information

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff in his Department respond to Freedom of Information requests.

Mr Robin Walker: The Department for Exiting the European Union’s FOI team is appropriately staffed to make sure the department meets its statutory obligations. Within the past quarter, we responded to 97% of FOI requests within the 20 working day deadline set by the Information Commissioner's Office. As recruitment to the department is still ongoing we are not in a position to give a final total for particular groups of staff.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many full-time equivalent third-party contractors and consultants his Department has employed since its establishment; and what the cost to the taxpayer has been of that employment.

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many full-time equivalent third-party contractors and consultants his Department plans to employ in (a) 2017, (b) 2018 and (c) 2019; and what the cost to the taxpayer will be in each of those years.

Mr Robin Walker: The department has sourced a large proportion of experienced staff from across Whitehall and a number of secondees and contractors from the private sector and the wider public sector. We are not in a position to give a final total for particular groups of staff as recruitment is ongoing and numbers are regularly changing. The total cost of consultancy for 2016/17 will be published in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts in the summer.Plans and budgets for third-party contractors and consultants for future years have not been finalised and will be kept under review.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Legal Costs

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2017 to Question 61331, what the total cost to his Department was of the court case R (Miller) v the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union in the Supreme Court; and if he will publish to which standard departmental cost headings those costs have been allocated.

Mr Robin Walker: All costs related to the case have not yet been settled. Details of the total costs associated with the case, including the costs of the Supreme Court appeal, will be published in due course after they have been settled.

EU law

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to paragraph 2.11, page 15 of the White Paper, Legislating for the United Kingdom's Withdrawal from the European Union, what the rights are in the EU treaties that can be relied on directly in court by an individual that will continue to be available under UK law after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Great Repeal Bill will ensure that there is maximum possible certainty as to the rights and obligations in our law upon leaving the EU. And it will allow for a smooth and orderly exit that provides a secure basis for future changes to our domestic law.The Bill will ensure that, wherever possible, the same rules and laws apply on the day after we leave the EU as they did before. Where rights in the EU treaties can be relied on directly in court by an individual, those rights will continue to be available in UK law under the Great Repeal Bill.

EU law

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans the Government has to include provision in the planned Great Repeal Bill to transpose the EU precautionary principle into UK law.

Mr Robin Walker: The precautionary principle has had an important influence on the drafting of EU environmental legislation, which will be incorporated into domestic law through the Great Repeal Bill. The Great Repeal Bill will ensure that the whole body of existing EU environmental legislation continues to have effect in UK law.As set out in the white paper, Great Repeal Bill will ensure that, wherever practical and appropriate, the same rules and laws apply on the day after we leave the EU as they did before. This means that the Bill will convert directly-applicable EU law into UK law; it will preserve all the laws we have made in the UK to implement our EU obligations, as well as the rights in the EU treaties that can be relied on directly in court by an individual.This legislation is the first step in the Prime Minister’s Plan for Britain. It will allow for a smooth and orderly exit and provide a functioning statute book at the point we leave the EU.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Secondment

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff have been seconded to his Department from outside the Civil Service in the last six months.

Mr Robin Walker: The department has sourced a large proportion of experienced staff from across Whitehall and a number of secondees from the private sector and the wider public sector. We are not in a position to give a final total for particular groups of staff as recruitment is ongoing and numbers are regularly changing.

European Medicines Agency: Staff

James Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many people are employed by the European Medicines Agency; and how many of those people are British citizens.

Mr Robin Walker: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

European Banking Authority: Staff

James Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many people are employed by the European Banking Authority; and how many of those people are British citizens.

Mr Robin Walker: Data relating to the total number of employees working for the European Banking Authority can be found on their website: http://www.eba.europa.eu/about-us/careers/multimedia/eba-at-glance.Current data relating to the nationality of employees of the European Banking Authority is not available.

Brexit

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what progress his Department has made in securing a reciprocal agreement with the EU that guarantees existing rights of (a) EU nationals in the UK and (b) UK nationals in the EU after the UK has left the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government has been clear that we should always put citizens first. This was reflected in the Prime Minister’s letter to the President of the European Council confirming the Government’s decision to invoke Article 50. We want to strike an early agreement about the rights of EU nationals in the UK and UK nationals in the EU and we would have been happy to do so in advance of negotiations. We will look to prioritise these issues as soon as negotiations begin.

European Banking Authority: Scotland

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the Scottish health and life science sectors and wider economy of the European Medicines Agency headquarters leaving the UK.

Mr Robin Walker: The future of our relationship with the European Medicines Agency, and any potential effects on the wider health and life sciences sector, is subject to the outcome of the withdrawal negotiations. We have been clear that we will secure a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom.

Drinks: Manufacturing Industries

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans he has to ensure negotiations on the UK leaving the EU do not result in future job losses in Scotland's drinks manufacturing sector.

Mr Robin Walker: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

British Overseas Territories

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions his Department has had with the Overseas Territories on the implications for those territories of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The UK Government is committed to involving the Overseas Territories as we prepare to exit the EU, and ensuring their interests are properly taken into account.UK Ministers and leaders of the Overseas Territories have committed to taking forward future engagement through the creation of the UK – Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) on European Negotiations.The JMC met for the first time on 6-7 February 2017, chaired jointly by myself, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union, and Foreign Office Minister Baroness Anelay, and discussed a range of issues of interest to the Overseas Territories.

European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government plans to publish a regulatory impact assessment for the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government has been conducting a programme of rigorous and extensive analytical work that will help define our partnership with the EU, and inform our understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK’s domestic policies and frameworks. Parliament has voted repeatedly not to publish detail which could undermine UK's position in our negotiations with the EU and the Government will repeat repeat that decision.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will make it his priority to secure residency rights for EU nationals living in the UK with British children or other dependents.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government has been clear that we should always put citizens first. This was reflected in the Prime Minister’s letter to the President of the European Council confirming the Government’s decision to invoke Article 50. We want to strike an early agreement about the rights of EU nationals in the UK and UK nationals in the EU and made clear that we would have been happy to do so in advance of negotiations. We will look to prioritise this issue as soon as negotiations begin.

Drugs: Manufacturing Industries

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the UK pharmaceutical industry of the UK no longer being part of the European Medicines Agency after the UK leaves the EU.

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the Government's objectives are for regulation for pharmaceuticals after the UK leaves the EU.

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with EU counterparts on whether the UK will pay the costs of transferring the European Medicines Agency elsewhere in the event of its headquarters leaving London.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government is committed to ensuring a positive outcome for the UK life sciences and pharmaceuticals sector as we exit the European Union.In the negotiations, the Government will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue to cooperate in the field of medicines regulation in the best interests of both the UK and EU. It would not be appropriate to pre-judge the outcome of the negotiations.

Attorney General

Female Genital Mutilation

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Attorney General, how many people have been (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of female genital mutilation or associated offences.

Jeremy Wright: Two people were prosecuted in February 2015 for an offence under section 1 of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 and an offence of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence, contrary to section 44(1) of the Serious Crime Act 2007. There have been no other prosecutions and no convictions for offences under the Act or other associated offences.

Wales Office

Overseas Students: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the effect of the fall in the number of applications from EU nationals applying to study in universities in Wales since the EU referendum on the Welsh economy.

Alun Cairns: The UK continues to attract the second highest number of overseas students (EU and non-EU) to tertiary education, after the US. This year we have also seen a rise in the number of 18 year olds from overseas applying to study in the UK. More broadly, figures for non-EU international students have remained steady.

Overseas Students: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on steps to maintain the number of students from the EU applying to study at universities in Wales.

Alun Cairns: The Government has been meeting regularly with counterparts from the Welsh Government, and the other devolved administrations, to discuss a range of issues regarding higher education after the UK leaves the EU, including student mobility.

ERASMUS: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Cabinet Secretary for Education in the Welsh Government on the Erasmus programme in Wales.

Alun Cairns: The Government recognises the value of international exchange and collaboration in education, as part of our vision for the UK as a global nation. There may be European programmes in which we want to participate following EU Exit, and we will consider this as part of the negotiations.

Horizon 2020: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the value of projects funded through Horizon 2020 in Wales.

Alun Cairns: It is clearly very early in the negotiations to be discussing specific outcomes. However, this Government is already taking actions to ensure a smooth transition to the new arrangements. The Chancellor announced in August 2016 that the Treasury will underwrite the payments of all successful bids for competitive EU research funding awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the departure from the EU. This applies to all UK partner organisations. This gives UK participants and their international partners confidence that they will have the funding necessary throughout the life of their Horizon 2020 funded project. Welsh organisations have attracted €66 million in Horizon 2020 funding between January 2014 and February 2017. The Government is committed to ensuring the UK remains a world leader in international research and innovation. ‘The United Kingdom’s exit from and new partnership with the European Union’ White Paper set out that the Government would welcome an agreement to continue to collaborate with our European partners on major science, research, and technology initiatives and we will approach the upcoming negotiations on this basis.

Brexit: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2016 to Question 57432, on Brexit: Wales, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effect on the Welsh economy of the UK leaving the EU.

Alun Cairns: The Welsh economy approaches its departure from the EU in a strong position. Since 2010 Wales has been the fastest growing UK region outside London and exports to countries outside the EU have increased by 5.5% in the last year alone. The strength of Wales is demonstrated in its ability to attract globally recognised brands like Aston Martin and Qatar Airways. As we negotiate our exit from the EU, the Prime Minister has made clear that we will work to secure a deal that benefits all parts of the UK. Wales is part of a Global Britain that is outward-looking and together we are building a stronger economy where everyone plays by the same rules.

EU Grants and Loans: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions the Government has had with the Welsh Government on future funding for any successor to the Wales-Ireland Co-operation programme.

Alun Cairns: It is clearly very early in the negotiations to be discussing specific outcomes. However, the Government is already taking actions to ensure a smooth transition to the new arrangements. There may be European programmes, some of which may be partly but not wholly EU programmes, in which we may want to participate following EU Exit, and we will consider this as part of the negotiations. The Chancellor has announced that EU funding granted before we leave the EU will be guaranteed by the Treasury after the UK leaves. For projects signed after the 2016 Autumn Statement and which continue after we have left the EU, funding for projects will be honoured by the Treasury if they provide strong value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities. All European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs) projects signed or with funding agreements in place before the 2016 Autumn Statement, will be fully funded, even when these projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. This includes funding granted under the Ireland-Wales European Territorial Cooperation programme.

Ministry of Justice

Rape: Criminal Proceedings

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for the review of the use of rape complainants' sexual history during court cases.

Sir Oliver Heald: The Secretary of State and Attorney General agreed to look at how section 41 is operating in practice and the Crown Prosecution Service is currently conducting a study of a sample of case files.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when her Department plans to respond to Question 66948, tabled by the hon. Member for West Bromwich East on 7 March 2017.

Sir Oliver Heald: Question 66948 tabled by the hon. Member for West Bromwich East was answered on 18 April 2017.

Ministry of Justice: Written Questions

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when she plans to answer Question 66948, tabled on 7 March 2017 by the hon. Member for West Bromwich East.

Sir Oliver Heald: Question 66948 tabled by the hon. Member for West Bromwich East was answered on 18 April 2017.

Offences against Children

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to include (a) sports coaches and (b) youth leaders within the Positions of Trust provisions of section 21 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Sir Oliver Heald: The Purdah Rules for General Elections currently apply.

Admissibility of Evidence

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information her Department holds on the number of occasions where judges have allowed evidence in breach of ss41 3 (c) (i) of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 in each of the last five years.

Sir Oliver Heald: The Secretary of State and Attorney General agreed to look at how section 41 is operating in practice and the Crown Prosecution Service is currently conducting a study of a sample of case files.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of appeals to the Tribunals Service in Scotland relating to personal independence payments were successful in the latest period for which figures are available.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeals to the Tribunals Service in Scotland related to personal independence payments in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the total cost was of those appeals.

Sir Oliver Heald: Information about the number and outcomes of personal independence payment appeals in Scotland is published on gov.uk. The most recent statistics, for the period October to December 2016, can be viewed at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2016. HM Courts & Tribunals Service cannot isolate cost data relating to specific benefit types.

Young Offenders: Ethnic Groups

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what comparative assessment she has made of the number of BAME young offenders in youth custody in (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2016-17.

Mr Sam Gyimah: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Prisoners' Release

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to bring about the release of prisoners subject to a sentence of imprisonment for public protection who served their tariff.

Mr Sam Gyimah: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Reoffenders: Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the maximum number of offences has been for which a person has been convicted prior to being sent to prison in the last five years.

Mr Sam Gyimah: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Sentencing: Northern Ireland

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions she and officials of her Department have had with the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland on sentencing policy.

Mr Sam Gyimah: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Sentencing

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which criminal offences have had the maximum attributable penalty increased in the last 12 months.

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of increasing maximum sentences on offender behaviour.

Mr Sam Gyimah: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Scotland Office

Overseas Trade: Scotland

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for Scotland's trading opportunities of the UK's decision to leave the EU.

David Mundell: We are determined to get the best deal for Scotland and the whole of the UK as we negotiate our exit from the EU. Domestically, it is vital that we maintain the integrity of our own UK single market, which is worth over four times more to Scotland than its trade with the rest of the EU. In Europe, the Government seeks to secure the freest and most frictionless trade possible in goods and services between the UK and the EU and will pursue a new strategic partnership with the EU, including an ambitious and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement and a new customs agreement. Around the rest of the world, without the need to reflect the positions of the EU27, an independent trade policy gives us the opportunity to strike deals better suited to the UK and to make quicker progress with new partners, as well as those where EU negotiations have stalled. We will seize the opportunity Brexit offers not just to form a new partnership with Europe, but to build a stronger, fairer, more Global Britain too.

Industry

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the Government's industrial strategy benefits Scotland and other parts of the UK equally.

David Mundell: We want to build an industrial strategy that addresses long-term challenges to the UK economy. Our aim is to improve living standards and economic growth by increasing productivity and driving growth across the whole country. The Scotland Office has worked closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as the Industrial Strategy develops. The Industrial Strategy represents an opportunity for the UK and Scottish Governments to use their powers collaboratively to deliver for Scottish businesses and communities. Both I and my Ministerial colleagues have met with a wide range of businesses, innovators, investors and workers in Scotland to hear their views as part of a consultation process that reached right across the UK. Along with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, I met the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work on 11 April to discuss opportunities for joint work between the UK and Scottish Governments as we develop the Industrial Strategy further.

UK Trade With EU: Scotland

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on Scotland's trade with EU countries of the UK leaving the EU.

David Mundell: We are determined to get the best deal for Scotland and the whole of the UK as we negotiate our exit from the EU. Domestically, it is vital that we maintain the integrity of our own UK single market, which is worth over four times more to Scotland than its trade with the rest of the EU. In Europe, the Government seeks to secure the freest and most frictionless trade possible in goods and services between the UK and the EU and will pursue a new strategic partnership with the EU, including an ambitious and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement and a new customs agreement. Around the rest of the world, without the need to reflect the positions of the EU27, an independent trade policy gives us the opportunity to strike deals better suited to the UK and to make quicker progress with new partners, as well as those where EU negotiations have stalled. We will seize the opportunity Brexit offers not just to form a new partnership with Europe, but to build a stronger, fairer, more Global Britain too.

Devolution: Scotland

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of provisions in the Great Repeal Bill on Scotland's devolved competencies.

David Mundell: As the Prime Minister has made clear, it is the expectation of the Government that the outcome of this process will be a significant increase in the decision making power of each devolved administration.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Consultants

Tim Farron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much each government department has spent on external consultants in each of the last five years.

Ben Gummer: Holding answer received on 02 March 2017



It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Pay: West Bromwich East

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people working in West Bromwich East constituency earn less than £10 per hour.

Chris Skidmore: Holding answer received on 24 April 2017



It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Zero Hours Contracts: West Bromwich East

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people in West Bromwich East constituency are employed on zero-hour contracts.

Chris Skidmore: Holding answer received on 24 April 2017



It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Cabinet Office: Cybercrime

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which (a) elected officials and (b) civil servants of his Department have responsibility for its cyber security.

Chris Skidmore: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Cybercrime

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have met representatives of the US Administration to discuss possible threats to web security.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have met representatives from the EU to discuss possible threats to web security.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have met representatives from China to discuss possible threats to web security.

Chris Skidmore: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Self-employed: Married People

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many couples there are in the UK where both partners are self-employed.

Chris Skidmore: Holding answer received on 26 April 2017



It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Cabinet Office: Staff

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials of his Department have applied for special leave to carry out work for non-government departments in the last nine months.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested is not held.

Cabinet Office: Staff

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his Department's policy is on allowing staff to take special leave to carry out work for non-government departments.

Chris Skidmore: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Facebook

Tim Farron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Government spent from the public purse on targeted Facebook advertising to promote the planforbritain.gov.uk website.

Chris Skidmore: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Government Departments: Evening Standard

Clive Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2017 to Question 68738, when he plans to supply the answer referred to in the Answer.

Chris Skidmore: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Infrastructure: Southampton

Royston Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much financial support Southampton has received from publicly funded projects and infrastructure investment over the last seven years.

Chris Skidmore: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Equal Pay: Scotland

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of trends in the extent of the gender pay gap in the public sector in Scotland in the last five years.

Chris Skidmore: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Investment: Ochil and South Perthshire

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much Government investment has been made in Ochil and South Perthshire constituency since 2015.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response to PQ71885
(PDF Document, 66.13 KB)

Migration

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many British nationals are resident in non-UK EU countries; and how many non-UK EU nationals are resident in the UK.

Chris Skidmore: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

House of Commons Commission

House of Commons: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many people holding security passes for other Government Departments are granted access to the House of Commons Commission's premises with that pass, by Department.

Tom Brake: The number of people from Government Departments who hold security passes granting access to the House of Commons Commission’s premises is as follows:Department DescriptionCount10 Downing Street131Attorney-General’s Office21Business, Innovation & Skills[1]39Cabinet Office236Crown Prosecution Service1Culture Media & Sport81Defence112Department for International Trade56Department for Transport98Department for Education106Department for International Development44Dept of Communities and Local Government94Dept for Exiting the EU48Dept of Business Energy & Industrial Strategy53Dept of Energy & Climate Change13Environment Food & Rural Affairs38European Commission1European Parliament1Food Standards Agency7Foreign & Commonwealth Office123General Synod of the Church of England6Government Car Service65Government Legal Department20H M Revenue & Customs29Health62Home Office211Intelligence & Security Committee9Ministry of Justice103National Audit Office23Northern Ireland Office20Ofgem1Parliamentary Counsel Office60Scotland Office14Serious Fraud Office4Treasury96Wales Office11Work & Pensions72TOTAL2109 [1] Now Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.